Eternal Flame
by 74CrazyChick
Summary: I believe it's meant to be, darlin'… I watch you when you are sleeping… You belong with me… Do you feel the same… Am I only dreaming… Or is this burning an eternal flame…
1. Chapter 1

**So here is my newest story… posted slightly later than I'd originally wanted but there you go. This was originally going to be a one-shot… but as they usually seem to do these days… it turned into something bigger. That being said, it's not the length of some of my other stories either. Big thanks to my super friend, Eastendersfan444 for all her suggestions and editing genius. So anyway, here it is… it's a 'what would've happened if…' story… something a bit different but not too far out there. Some things are different to the show but hopefully that will become clear as you read it… or I'll point it out in an AN. On with the show… or story… Enjoy!**

 **Eternal Flame.**

 **Chapter One.**

 **16** **th** **September 2014.**

Joey walked into the hospital, a sense of urgency in his steps. He stopped briefly at the reception and asked for directions to the intensive care ward. A small wave of sympathy washed over the older woman's face as she saw the distress on his and then she gave him the directions of where he needed to go. He nodded his head in thanks and then he was walking towards the direction she'd pointed him in. He ran up the stairs, rather than take the lift, needing to be doing something, not wanting the inactivity of standing still. He was soon walking down the corridor until he saw the entrance to the intensive care ward and then he slowed down… to the point where he was barely moving. His hands clenched at his sides as he took a few calming breaths.

His heart was racing as he pulled open the last door and then he saw a person he recognised sitting a few feet in front of him. He walked over to them and sat down, already feeling fidgety, "I got here as soon as I could… Thanks for calling me… for letting me know…" he said quietly. "How is she?" he asked.

"I don't know…" he said. "The doctors are with her now…"

"Do you know what happened? How she…?" Joey trailed off unable to say the words.

"I didn't get back to the square until the paramedics were bringing her out to the ambulance and I came here with her… but I was told what happened…" He stopped speaking and Joey could see he was upset.

"And…?" he prodded gently.

His uncle turned his head and looked at him and Joey could see the tears in his eyes… on his face… "She was babysitting… Kat and Alfie's twins…" he said. "She'd been doing it at our house… Kat and Alfie were at Sharon and Phil's hen and stag do's…" He closed his eyes, "I was going to the stag after I got back to the square… I'd just taken Abs to the train station… her and Jay were going up to Bolton to look at places to live when she goes to university…" He lowered his head, "Or they had been anyway… I called them not long ago and they're on their way back. Tan and Oscar are coming up too… I called Tan just after I spoke to you…" Joey nodded his head, glad he hadn't had to make that phone call. "So anyway, Fatboy said that he'd seen Lauren take the twins over to Kat and Alfie's house as he was making his way to Phil's stag do… There was an explosion at the house… I've no idea what caused it but the twins and Lauren were in it… The fire brigade arrived and went into the house when Fatboy told them he thought she might be in there. She was… they brought her out just as I drove up…" He stopped speaking, closing his eyes and Joey knew he was remembering what he'd seen. "Fatboy told me quickly what had happened as they put her in the back of the ambulance…"

"What about the twins?" Joey whispered, knowing how much Lauren would hate it if anything had happened to them.

Max lifted his head again, smiling slightly at his nephew. "She protected them… The paramedic told me when we were on our way here… she was shielding them with her body when she was found…"

Joey nodded his head, relieved that they were okay but still worried about Lauren. He glanced around, "Where's Peter?" he asked suddenly, "She told me things between her and Peter were getting more serious… that there could be something there… That was what she said when I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago anyway…"

"He chose not to come here." Max told him.

"What?" Joey said in shock. "She's been there for him since Lucy died… and he turns his back on her when she needs him…?" Joey's voice rose with each word he said. He got to his feet and began pacing in front of the seats, striding back and forth for several minutes, needing to move once more as the surge of anger ebbed through his body.

"He's not here because she didn't want him here, Joey…" Max said softly as he watching his nephew pace in front of him.

"She said that?" Joey said, coming to a standstill and staring at his uncle.

"Not exactly…" Max admitted.

"I don't understand…" Joey whispered.

Max looked up at his face, seeing the confusion on it, "She was screaming your name, Joey… she wanted you… she made that very clear…" he explained softly.

"What?" he gasped, his face paling as he took in what Max had just said.

"She was screaming for you… the only thing she said from the time they brought her out of the building was your name… over and over… all the way to the hospital… It's why I called you…"

 **A/N: So there was chapter one. What did you think? Send me a review and let me know. How do you think Joey will take Max's news…? Do you think Lauren will be okay? Okay, changes from the show are: Abi is going to university (with Jay), there is no Emma and Max and Lauren and Joey have been keeping in contact with each other (don't know if this happened in the show but I've assumed it didn't). Anyway, back tomorrow with the next chapter… Don't forget to review... xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so thrilled with the reviews I've got... I was worried it had been too long since I'd posted and everyone would've stopped reading Jouren stories... Glad you're all still here! I've replied to all reviews that I could reply to... Keep 'em coming... xx**

 **Chapter Two.**

Joey was once more sitting in the chair next to his uncle. He'd slumped down next to him about twenty minutes earlier, since his uncle had told him what had happened to Lauren. He was somewhat in shock. To know that she'd been crying out his name… it meant something. It meant a great deal to him if he was being honest. Now though he was thinking about what Max had seen when he saw her. He was also worried about her injuries… worried about how badly she'd been injured. She wasn't in intensive care for no reason.

There was the sound of approaching footsteps and both men looked up, getting to their feet when they saw a doctor approach to them. "Mr Branning?" he said.

"Yes?" both men replied.

The doctor looked between the two men standing before him, both of them wearing concerned looks on their faces, "Max Branning?" he tried again.

"That's me… This is my nephew Joey…" Max said as he held his hand out towards him. The doctor shook his hand. "How's Lauren?"

"We've sedated her… She has superficial burns to her hands and face… mainly first degree on her face but her hands are second degree… these should all heal pretty well." He said, looking down to consult the file he was holding in his hand. "We've currently put cool dressings on them and we'll be keeping an eye on them over the next few days." Max relaxed beside Joey, "Unfortunately she has other burns that will be harder to treat… These are predominantly on her back and her lower legs. These burns are full thickness, third degree burns and they're going to require surgery."

"When will you want to do the surgery?" Max asked.

"Now… if we have your permission…" he said, "the sooner we do the initial surgery, the better off your daughter will be…"

Max looked at Joey, "What do you think?"

"She needs the surgery… there's no decision to make…" Joey said calmly, although it was the very last thing he was feeling.

"She may possibly need further surgery in the coming weeks… she might also require skin grafts… I won't know that for certain until I operate on her and take a closer look at the damage she's sustained. She's going to be spending a lot of time in hospital… and she's going to be in a lot of pain as she heals… And this will be a very lengthy process… There is no quick fix for this…"

"But she can be fixed?" Max said, hope in his voice.

"She's currently in a critical condition, Mr Branning. The surgery I need to perform is risky and there's no guarantee that she'll make it through… There has been damage to her throat and lungs from smoke inhalation and those aren't ideal circumstances to perform surgery under but I have to… I can't delay it until she's stronger…"

"So what are her chances?" Joey asked. The doctor stared at him, "Her chances of getting through the surgery?" he clarified.

The doctor looked at them both for a long time before he spoke again, "less than 50%... but she needs to have the surgery now. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure she gets through the surgery… but there's always a risk and I can't swear there won't be any complications while I'm in there."

"And the chances of her making a full recovery?" Joey asked softly. "If she makes it through…"

"Let's get this step over with first…"

"Please?" Joey begged him.

The doctor sighed, "If she gets through the surgery, then I'd like to think the chances of her recovering are good… As to whether it will be a full recovery or not depends on how the next couple of days go… and a lot of her recovery will depend on Lauren herself…"

"Can we see her before she goes for surgery?" Joey asked.

"Of course… but you should be aware that she doesn't look much like the Lauren you're familiar with… She's lying on her front to keep the pressure off her wounds… She's covered in gauze and dressings… over a majority of her body… She's unconscious…" he told them softly.

"I need to see her…" Joey whispered.

"So do I." Max said.

The doctor nodded. "I'll just go and let the nursing staff know… You'll need to gown up to go in there. The last thing Lauren needs now is to get an infection." He said. "One of the nurses will be down in a couple of minutes once they've finished dressing the wounds on her hands…" He walked away after shaking both of their hands again and they watched as he spoke to the nurses at the desk, making some notes on Lauren's chart.

"I need to let Tan know what's going on…" Max said, "You go in and see Lauren first…" he said, "I'll see her once you're done." He said.

"Are you sure?" Joey asked in surprise.

"Yeah… I think my call will be easier if I haven't seen Lauren first…" he admitted.

Joey glanced at his uncle, seeing the anxiety in his voice, "She's going to get through this, Uncle Max…" he said softly.

"Will she?" Max said, staring at him intently. "She's not exactly stable, is she? This will be more than enough to push her back to the booze… It's been hard enough for her this year already… with you leaving… and then Lucy dying…"

"Maybe you should let Peter know what's going on too…" Joey said.

Max stared at him, "It wasn't him she wanted, Joey… she made that perfectly clear…"

"He still might want to know." Joey reasoned.

"I'll call him…" Max agreed. He stared past his nephew as he saw the nurse approach. "The nurse is here… why don't you go with her and see Lauren…? I'll be in shortly…"

Both men stood and Joey was about to walk away with the nurse when he knew he needed to say something, "I'm going to be there for her, Uncle Max…" he said, turning his head to look back at him, "Every step of the way…"

"Never doubted it for a second, Joey…" Max said.

 **A/N: So you have a small clue about Lauren's injuries… I should say that in this story the fire wasn't started by Alfie… or anyone in the square… it was simply an accident. I just didn't want him to be responsible for what has happened to Lauren. Don't forget to send me a review… let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three.**

Joey was getting ready to go into the Intensive Care Unit. He was now wearing a gown, gloves and a facemask. He wasn't convinced Lauren would recognise him if she was awake but then he wasn't sure he'd recognise her either, not after the doctor's description of her injuries. The nurse was waiting for him so he walked over to where she stood and they walked into the sterile room. Lauren was lying on the bed and she was all Joey could see. He didn't pay any attention to the mass of machines and equipment around her. The nurse was speaking to him but he was barely aware of what she was saying, just staring at the girl he still loved intensely.

He was left alone again so he made his way slowly over to the bed. His eyes ran over her body, seeing that she was naked on the bed, bandages and dressings covering most of her back and a lot of her legs while a sheet was draped over her bum, protecting her modesty. As the doctor had said she was lying on her front and he sat next to the bed on the side that her face was turned towards. Not that he could see much of her face either. As with her back there were dressings covering the half of her face she wasn't lying on and his heart broke for her. He moved his chair closer to her and leant next to her, "Hey babe… It's me…" he whispered. His hand reached towards her, pushing some strands of her hair back from her face and he tucked them behind her ear, wishing there was more he could do to comfort her. "What I said to you at Christmas still applies, babe… I still love you… Always will…" he whispered to her. "I'm here for you, Lauren… I'm not leaving you again, I promise…"

The door opened and Max was standing in the doorway. Joey looked at him, seeing his face (or as much as he could due to the mask) and knowing he was feeling exactly the same way he'd felt when he first came into the room. He walked closer and Joey moved his chair slightly so his uncle could sit next to him. "Lauren, I'm here now, babe…" Max murmured, his words unconsciously echoing his nephew's. "Your mum, sister and brother will be here soon… probably before you get back from your operation…" He stopped speaking and swallowed, "I'm so proud of you, Lauren… proud that you kept those little boys safe from harm… I wish you hadn't got hurt in the process but I've never been prouder of you in my life, darling…"

They fell into silence, neither of them knowing what else to say to her and not even sure she could hear what they were saying anyway. The door opened again and this time it was several nurses and Lauren's doctor. "It's time for Lauren to go down now…" he said to the two men.

Joey leant forward so he could speak to her again, "You've got to go now, babe… but me and your dad are going to sit here waiting for you… okay, so you hurry up and come back to us." He said softly. He pushed the strands of hair behind her ear again and then he stood slightly and kissed her hair, "No drama queen moments, babe… you hear me, Lauren Branning…" he said softly. He stood and watched as they walked out of the room with her bed. He glanced at the clock, the familiar feeling of emptiness returning to him as she disappeared from sight. It was a feeling he'd had ever since he left the square almost nine months earlier.

"Let's go and get a drink, Joey…" Max said, "It's going to be a long wait…"

*JL*JL*

It was almost six hours later and Joey was back beside her bed. The operation had ended a couple of hours ago but Lauren had been in recovery for a while. Max and Tanya had then been in with her… and then Abi and Jay. Joey wasn't convinced Lauren looked any better than she had before the operation really, she was still covered in dressings and he still couldn't see her face. He couldn't hold her hand either so he'd settled for brushing his forefinger up and down the side of her upper arm gently. He wanted her to know he was there for her.

The doctor had said she'd come through the operation well but the chances of her needing skin grafts was highly likely and there would be some scarring to her back. He wasn't sure how she was going to take that news. He knew, despite her behaviour sometimes to the contrary, she was very insecure about how she looked and he was sure this was going to be an issue for her.

He wished she'd wake up but the doctor had said she was still heavily sedated to give her body some time to recover from what it'd been through. He'd also told them she'd be in unbearable pain if she was awake. Once Joey knew that he decided it was a relief she wasn't awake, he didn't want her to be suffering.

There was a soft knock at the door. After a few seconds it opened and Uncle Jack was standing there, "I came when Max called me…" he said softly. "How is she?"

"She's had better days…" Joey said quietly.

Jack walked over to where Joey sat and pulled up a chair, sitting on it. "I didn't think I'd ever come back to Walford…" he said softly after a couple of minute's silence.

"Me either…" Joey admitted. "I'd always come back for her though…"

Jack smiled, "Me too… She's my favourite niece…"

"She's my everything…" Joey admitted sadly.

"I know, Joey." Jack said. He put his arm around his nephew's shoulders and clasped his shoulder, "You come to me if you need to talk to someone, okay, Joey?" he said softly.

Joey glanced at him. "I will… Thanks Uncle Jack…" he said.

"No need to thank me… We're family…"

 **A/N: The family are starting to gather… even Jack has returned to the square. Lauren has made it through the operation but is she now on the mend? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four.**

Joey sat up a little straighter when he heard Lauren moan on the bed. The sedation had been reduced over the last day and he'd been waiting for her to wake up. It seemed his wish was finally coming true. He leant forward, "It's okay, Lauren… You're okay…" he told her softly, over and over as she started to come round. The dressings were gone from her face now and Joey was relieved to see there was only a slight red patch of skin on the side of her face, which the doctor had reassured them would disappear over the next few weeks. Her hands were still bandaged as her burns were worse there and the doctor had said he didn't want her to damage the skin by trying to move or use them as they healed.

Her eyelids fluttered open and then she was staring at him. She tried to move on the bed and quickly stopped, her eyes closing but not before Joey saw the pain ebb through them. "Ow…" she whimpered.

"Don't try and move, babe…" he said gently.

She opened her eyes again, "What happened to your face?" she asked him, frowning as she looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"The beard…" she whispered, "It looks like a furry animal is clinging onto your face…"

"I'll go and shave in a little bit, babe…" he said, smiling at her.

"Good…" she whispered. She said nothing for a minute or two, just staring at his face, "I didn't dream it, did I?" she said softly.

"The fire?" he murmured and she nodded her head very slightly. "No babe… you didn't…"

"Are Bert and Ernie okay?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears as she thought the worst.

"The twins?" he said, he didn't think Max had told him their names and he knew he wouldn't have forgotten them if he had, not those names. He got another small nod from her, "They're fine, Lauren… you protected them and they didn't even have smoke inhalation…"

"Good…" she whispered again, closing her eyes. He said nothing, knowing she'd ask eventually, knowing she needed to find out in her own time. After a couple of minutes he wondered if she'd fallen asleep again but then her voice broke the silence, "How bad?" she asked him softly.

He was going to lie to her but he knew he couldn't. "It's not great, babe… your back and the bottom of your left leg are pretty bad… they want to do skin grafts on the worst bits…" he told her gently, "There might be some scarring but it shouldn't be too bad…"

She said nothing, staring at his face and he knew she was looking to see if he was telling the truth. "What about my face?" she asked eventually.

"There were some small superficial burns when you were first brought in…" he told her, "but they've almost all gone now… just a small bit of pink skin at the edge of your face and the doctor says that'll be gone in another week…"

Lauren frowned, "How long has it been?" she asked him softly.

"Two weeks, babe…" he said.

"You've been here two weeks?" she said, shifting on the bed and wincing in pain at the movement.

"Where else would I be, eh?" he said.

"I didn't think you'd be here…" she whispered.

"Your dad said you were screaming my name… calling for me… He phoned me and I've been here ever since…"

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I love you…" he replied simply.

"Don't lie, Joe…" she said quickly.

"I'm not…" he protested, "I told you back at Christmas that I'd always love you and that hasn't changed. It's never going to, Lauren…"

She stared at him but then closed her eyes and said nothing more. She didn't need to because Joey knew what she was thinking. She couldn't understand why he'd still feel that way after what'd happened to her.

 **A/N: Poor Lauren… she's woken up but is still very confused… and in pain… and not sure she's being told the truth. And Joey has apparently let himself go somewhat in the intervening weeks. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five.**

The days passed slowly and Joey could tell that Lauren was pushing everyone away. He knew she was feeling pretty grotty… the pain from her back and her leg had made its presence known since she'd woken up and it quite often reduced her to tears. He was the only person she hadn't succeeded in pushing away, despite how much she'd tried to. He stayed by her side, talking to her softly as she lay crying in the bed. He wiped away her tears, pushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear, which for some reason made her cry even harder. He was also the only person she'd let stay with her when her doctor came in to examine her or when the dressings were changed. He'd talk to her softly as the doctor peeled away the dressings, trying to distract her from the pain of what the doctor was doing. He wasn't always completely successful but most of the time his soft whisperings in her ear did the job.

Three days after she'd woken up was when the problems started. She was in more pain than usual when she woke up and she was also struggling with her breathing a little, having developed a horrible cough since the smoke inhalation. Each cough jarred her whole body and brought tears to her eyes. This morning she'd had a long coughing fit and as it ended her breathing was raspy and very shallow. "I'm going to go and get the doctor, babe," Joey said worriedly.

"Don't go…" she gasped.

"I need to, babe… He needs to look at you…" He got to his feet and her eyes widened. She moved her hand that was nearest to him and covered his, moving her fingers slightly as she tried to grip it.

"Please…" she whispered.

"I need to do something, Lauren… you're in pain and you're not breathing properly…" He bent down and kissed the side of her head, his lips grazing her ear, "I can't lose you, Lauren… I can't…" he admitted to her. "I've got to do something…" he murmured.

"Button…" she said, looking at the wall at the top of the bed.

Joey turned to look and saw what she was talking about, "You should've told me about that earlier!" he scolded her softly, smiling at her to remove the sting from his words. He slapped his hand on the button and sure enough a couple of minutes later the door opened, "She's having trouble breathing and she's in a lot of pain from the cough she has…" he said to the nurse in the doorway, "Can the doctor come to see her?" he asked.

"I'll call him and get him to come down here as soon as possible…" She said, sweeping back out of the room again.

Joey sat back down and he brushed his fingers through her hair. "I feel a mess…" she murmured.

"You look beautiful…" he said.

"Liar…"

"I'm not lying…" he said, "What's there not to like, babe…? You're lying naked before me… From this angle I can see a glorious view of the side of your boob…" he added with a smirk. "You're looking right at me and I get to stare into your beautiful eyes all day long… I get to run my fingers through your hair each and every day…" She was staring at him and he could see tears welling in her eyes, "I get to have you back in my life, Lauren… something I'd thought was never going to happen…"

"Oh…" she whispered.

*JL*JL*

The doctor came into her room about five minutes later, by which time Lauren's breathing was really laboured. He didn't ask anything, staring at the reading on her machine. "Okay, Lauren, I need you to put this mask on for a little while… I'm a little concerned about your lungs." He told her, helping her put a mask over her nose and mouth. "As you know, your lungs were damaged slightly in the fire, Lauren… I also think the lack of manoeuvrability you have at the moment isn't helping with your breathing… There's a danger you could develop pneumonia and with your other injuries, that is something I'd rather didn't happen."

"The mask hurts…" she whispered, "It's digging into my face…"

"I know… I'll get a nurse to come in here shortly to put an oxygen line on you which will be more comfortable… this is just a temporary measure…" he told her. "Now, as I'm here, I'd like to check your wounds again. Is that okay?" he asked.

Lauren looked at Joey and he could see it was the last thing she wanted but she simply whispered, "Sure…"

He started to remove her dressings and Lauren winced, moaning softly as he removed the last one covering her back.

"It's okay, babe…" Joey said to her softly. He glanced at the doctor, trying not to react when he saw the frown on his face. The doctor looked at him and Joey knew it was bad news.

"Lauren, I'm afraid there are signs that you've got an infection in one area in the small of your back…" he told her gently. "I'll just check your legs too…" he said. His words had already had an impact on his patient and tears were flowing down her face. Joey turned his attention back to her and he wiped some of the tears away.

"I'm going nowhere…" he reminded her.

Her fingers squeezed his again slightly from where her hand was still sitting on his. "Love you…" she whispered. Joey beamed at her, pleased to hear the words from her for the first time since she'd come back into his life.

"That's good to know, babe…"

"You knew already…" she murmured, hissing slightly as the doctor did something.

"I hoped…" he confessed.

The room was silent and Joey laid his head on her pillow next to hers. The doctor cleared his throat and Joey lifted his head. "There's no easy way to say this, Lauren… We need to take you down for more surgery…" he said, "Your leg… there's some dead tissue and we need to remove it…"

"Dead…?" Lauren breathed, staring at Joey, her eyes widening.

"I'm afraid so… basically this is the same as what we did the night you were brought in and I was hoping it was enough but it isn't." He told her. "I'm also going to take a look at your back and see if I can remove some of the infected tissue from there as well…"

"Do you have to?" she asked him softly.

"If I don't, the infection will spread… and it'll do a lot more damage…"

"And my leg…?" she whispered.

"If the dead tissue remains, it will start to affect the healthy tissue next to it and… well, to put it bluntly, Lauren, you'll lose your leg…"

"Lose my…" She couldn't even say the last word. "Okay…" she reluctantly agreed.

"I'll go and sort it out… I'll try and get it booked as soon as I can. In the meantime I'll get the nurse to come in and sort out the oxygen…" He redressed her wounds loosely, covering them until he could take her down for surgery.

"Thank you, doctor…" Joey said. Lauren remained still until they were alone in the room and then she began to cry, her whole body shaking with each sob. Joey wanted to hug her but he knew he couldn't without hurting her so he did the next best thing. He cradled her head in his arm and dotted kisses over her face, whispering to her softly that he was there for her and would be throughout this.

*JL*JL*

They came to take Lauren to theatre and her panic, which Joey had only just dealt with, returned in a flash. She winced as her hand gripped his tightly, despite the bandages around it. He crouched down beside the bed and she shook her head, fear in her eyes. "They need to do this, babe... you heard the doc, the consequences of not having this operation are too big..." he reminded her.

"I'm scared..." she whispered.

"I know, babe..." he said, "How about if I walk down with you?" he said, glancing at one of the nurses and seeing her nod her head.

"Would you?"

"Of course, babe..." he said quickly. He stood up and clasped her bandaged hand gently in his, watching as the nurses and porters got the bed ready to be moved. He had to release her hand as they pushed her out of the room and Joey knew she was tense, hearing the increased beating of her heart as the bed moved into the corridor. Once he was beside the bed again he picked up her hand once more, holding it loosely and walking next to the moving bed. It wasn't long before they were at the point where Joey could go no further and the bed stopped. Joey crouched down beside the bed again, brushing the hair back from Lauren's face, "I can't go any further, babe... but these nice nurses and the doctor are going to take good care of you, okay?" he said softly. She bit her lip and he could tell she was fighting to hold back her emotions. "I'll be out here waiting for you when you're done..." he added, swallowing the lump in his throat as he tried to remain strong for her. "I love you..." he whispered and then leant forward and kissed her softly on the mouth.

She smiled at him, "Love you too..." she murmured. "See you soon..." she added and he knew she was ready. He kissed her one more time and then got back to his feet, nodding to the nurses and standing there as she was pushed through the double doors in front of them. The doors swung shut behind them and then he was on his own. He pulled out his mobile phone. He had some calls to make.

 **A/N: Poor Lauren… she really doesn't get a break, does she? Well, it sounds to me like she's not quite out of the woods yet, but what do I know? Let me know what you think and send me a review. Back tomorrow…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews everyone. I'll reply to the ones from last night tomorrow (hopefully) as I'm a bit under the weather. I wanted to post the chapter though... so here it is... Enjoy... xx**

 **Chapter Six.**

It was several hours later and the family were sitting tensely in the waiting room near Intensive Care. Joey was the tensest of them all and Jack was watching him carefully, "Why don't we go and get some fresh air, eh?" he said quietly.

"I can't... I told Lauren I'd be here when she got back..." he said.

"We'll only be a couple of minutes... you heard the nurse earlier... it's going to be a while more yet..." Jack reasoned. He was right, a nurse had appeared about half an hour ago, informing them that it was taking more time than the doctor had anticipated as it was very delicate surgery and it would be at least three more hours before Lauren was in recovery. This hadn't helped with Joey's tension at all and Jack was sure Tanya was on the verge of a breakdown.

Joey sighed, "Okay..." he relented. Uncle and nephew got to their feet and Jack explained to Carol where they were going. She agreed she'd keep an eye on Max and Tanya and would come to find them if they heard anything more.

Jack ushered Joey out of the room and down the corridors until they were walking out of the hospital. He then paused and waited to see what Joey did. Joey did nothing, his hands pushed into his pockets as he stared down at the ground. "Talk to me, Joey..." Jack said when it was clear he wasn't going to say anything.

"There's not much to say, is there?" Joey murmured.

"You're wound tighter than a cheap watch... you need to let it out... You're doing yourself no favours by bottling it all up and Lauren needs you... so talk." He said.

"I can't…" he admitted quietly.

"Why?" Jack asked. Joey lifted his head and Jack could see a million emotions on his face. He didn't say anything but several tears fell down his face and he gradually broke down. Jack pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly as he felt Joey's body start to shake in his arms. "It's okay, Joey…" he said.

"No, it's not…" he said, his voice so broken.

"It is… You need to have faith that everything is going to be okay…"

"You sound like Dot…" Joey said, laughter tinging his voice.

"All of those years in Walford must've rubbed off on me, eh?" Jack chuckled.

"I guess…" Joey pulled away from his uncle and wiped it face.

"You don't need to be ashamed of the way you're feeling, Joey…" Jack told him.

"I just want to be strong for her… to be there for her… I need her to get through this… I can't lose her… Not again. It almost broke me walking away from her at Christmas… I thought that was it, you know?" Joey said softly, "I thought I'd never see her again and over the months I got used to it… then Uncle Max called me and I came here… I knew it wasn't good… You don't get called to the hospital like that for something good… I tried to prepare myself… prepared to say goodbye. I couldn't not come though… I couldn't not see her again… even if it was just one last time." He breathed. He stopped speaking for a minute or two and he lowered his head again. "What if she doesn't get through this, Uncle Jack?" he whispered. "I thought I was ready to say goodbye to her but I'm really not…" He was on the verge of panic again now and Jack pulled him back into his arms.

"Calm down, Joey… Getting yourself worked up about it isn't going to help…"

"But…" he protested.

"Listen Joey… if the worst does happen… and I fucking hope it doesn't… you won't be going through this on your own… We'll all be there for you… there for each other… For Max and Tanya… for Abi and Oscar… for you…" He felt Joey start to relax a little, not all of the tension gone though. "We can get her through this, Joey. I know we can."

"If she lets us…"

"She'll let you… and we'll be there to get you through this." Jack told him, "You're what she needs to get through this. Peter Beale wouldn't be able to do it… he's too much like his dad in that regard, no backbone… but you… you're a Branning, Joey… and us Branning's, we have the strength to do anything together as a family…"

"Thanks, Uncle Jack." Joey said as he pulled away from his uncle again.

"How about we head back inside?" he said, "You can go and wash your face… maybe have a shave and clean yourself up a bit…"

"I don't have anything with me…" Joey said.

Jack smiled, "It's just as well I came prepared then, wasn't it?" he said, smirking as he held up a holdall he'd brought outside with him. "I went over to your mum's this morning on the way here and she'd packed some things for you." He said.

"Thanks Uncle Jack…" Joey said, taking the bag from him.

"Let's go then… and we'll grab some coffees for everyone on our way back to the waiting room." They walked back into the hospital and Joey quickly went into a men's toilet to clean himself up.

*JL*JL*

They carried drinks for everyone back to the waiting room and Carol looked up, seeing the hopeful look on Joey's face and she shook her head as they walked in. Joey deflated slightly but he passed two of his plastic cups to Tanya and Max.

"Thanks Joey…" Max said and Tanya flashed a watery smile at him.

Joey stood awkwardly at the side of the room, sipping on his drink. He was feeling antsy again and he could feel his emotions bubbling to the surface once more. This wasn't like him but then this was Lauren… and she was different. He took a deep breath and then turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He leant back against the door, his hand gripping the handle as he closed his eyes and tried to take some calming breaths.

"Joey?"

His eyes shot open and he turned his head, seeing Lauren's doctor standing in front of him. "Is the operation over?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm about to go in and talk to the family," the doctor said as he reached for the door handle.

"Tell me… I'll tell them…" Joey said.

The doctor said nothing for several minutes but finally he nodded his head, "Okay, let's sit down, Joey…" he said and Joey's heart sank. They walked over to some chairs in the corridor and sat down, "The surgery was much more delicate than I'd anticipated…" he started.

"The nurse told us a couple of hours ago…" Joey said.

"There was a lot of dead tissue in her leg… more than I'd anticipated there would be. There is a very real chance that she could lose her leg…" he said softly. Joey's mouth ran dry, opening and closing a couple of times as he struggled to find the words to say. "I'll be keeping a very close eye on it over the next day, to make sure there's no more necrosis. Her back… I've removed the infected tissue that was there but again, I'll need to keep an eye on it… I may need to do it again. She's going to feel pretty rough over the next couple of days. The infection was in her body… in her blood… I think, if she hadn't been on the drugs we've already got her on, she would've been feeling bad already. I've put her in an induced coma for the next day at least. She's been through a lot and she's not going to be feeling great at all. We've also got her on a whole heap load of drugs to try and combat the infection and to try and stop the necrosis from spreading any further…"

With each thing he said, Joey's shoulders slumped a little lower. "Is she going to get through this?" he asked tentatively.

"I can't make any promises, Joey… Lauren's very sick and at the moment…"

Joey looked at him, "Are you saying she's going to die?" he interrupted.

"That's not what I'm saying… but there are no guarantees either… Lauren's injuries were pretty significant and it's going to take a lot of strength and determination from her to get through this."

"So there's a chance…?" Joey whispered.

"There is…" he agreed.

"Fuck…" Joey breathed.

"I wish I could tell you better news." The doctor admitted.

"Not as much as I do," Joey said.

"The nurses are getting her comfortable in recovery and in an hour or so, she'll be brought back up to the ward and you'll be able to see her..." he said, "It's even more important now than it was before that everyone wears gowns and gloves... and if anyone is sick or feeling unwell, they can't see her... She's not strong enough to deal with anything else... not right now, anyway."

"I'll tell them." Joey said with a nod of his head.

*JL*JL*

Joey took a couple of minutes after the doctor left to compose himself and then he walked back into the room. The whole family looked at him and Tanya began to cry, being comforted by Max.

"I've just spoken to the doctor..." Joey told them.

"Is she... dead?" Max asked, his voice breaking slightly on the last word.

"No." Joey reassured them quickly, "but he did say there wasn't any guarantees..." he added. "She could still lose her leg..." he continued, sitting suddenly in the chair opposite her parents, his legs practically giving way under him. "He's removed as much dead tissue as he could but... I could tell he's worried about it... He's put her back into an induced coma while the drugs kick in and they start to work on the infection... He said she'd feel lousy if he allowed her to wake up now, the infection is in her blood and she's going to be pretty sick for a few days, I guess..."

"When's she gonna get a break, Max?" Tanya sobbed into his shoulder.

"I know, babe…" Max said. "We just need to be there for her… and to get past each hurdle that comes up…"

 **A/N: Pretty emotional, huh? Do you think Lauren is going to make it? She's certainly gone through a lot right now… and yet, at the moment I find myself feeling more sorry for Joey and the rest of the family. Let's hope things improve for them all soon… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	7. Chapter 7

**I promise I'll catch up with reviews tomorrow night... this cold has hit me really hard... and at the weekend too... Thanks to each and every one of you who's reviewed so far... they're greatly appreciated. xx**

 **Chapter Seven.**

Joey went into her room again, his heart sinking as he saw the swathe of bandages over her back and leg. The oxygen feed into her nose was no longer there, replaced by some sort of breathing apparatus into her mouth and probably down her throat. He glanced at the nurse beside him, she was dressed in a gown, gloves and face mask, just like he was.

"The ventilator is to help with her breathing, she's getting all of the oxygen she needs now." She reassured him.

Joey didn't feel that reassured by her words but didn't respond to what she'd said. "Can I sit with her?" he asked.

"You can… but no skin on skin contact… not until the drugs for the infection have started to make an impact. She's not strong enough to handle any other germs running through her system."

"Okay…" he said, hating that he wouldn't be able to kiss her or touch her. He walked over to the bed and took a seat, pulling the chair a little closer to her. He lifted his gloved hand and pushed some hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Hi babe… I'm here… just like I promised I would be…" he told her softly. The door to the room opened and closed and Joey knew they were alone once more. "I love you so much, Lauren…" he said softly. "I never thought it was possible for me to love anyone… I was definitely more of a fuck 'em and leave 'em kind of guy… taking what I wanted and then making a run for it… moving onto the next girl as soon as I could…" He stopped speaking, staring at her face, his eyes taking in her features as best he could from the way she was lying. "Everything changed when you walked into my life… right from the first moment I saw you, babe. Of course we were cousins… so that made things… complicated." He smiled as he said that, "but you know me… I like complicated, don't I babe?" he said. He paused, almost as if he was waiting for her to say something in reply. "Those months we wasted…" he sighed, "we could've been together and I would've been there for you… Lucy wouldn't have been an issue then, would she, eh?" He told her, "I never should've got together with her in the first place… I think I even knew that at the time… I didn't like her anywhere near as much as I liked you…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I wish things between us had worked… so much, Lauren." He murmured, "I didn't want to leave at Christmas… not really… and most certainly not without you…" He opened his eyes again, staring at her face once more, "I wish you'd come away with me… left the square with me… We were going to do it once before, weren't we?" He wanted to touch her but knew he couldn't and it frustrated him no end. "What I wish, more than anything in the world though, was that I could switch places with you right now... that I could take the pain for you... I hate the thought of you being in pain... like I hate the thought and sight of you crying... it kills me inside." He closed his eyes, taking a few moments to compose himself before he continued, "Kat and Alfie came to the hospital this morning... wanting to know how you are. They were singing your praises, babe... saying how you saved their boys and they couldn't ever thank you enough for what you did. Your dad was practically glowing with pride, babe... he's so proud of you... we all are. You're a proper little heroine, Lauren Branning and I'm going to remind you of that every day for the rest of our lives..." He smiled, "If you were awake now I know you'd be rolling your eyes and telling me to stop being ridiculous and that you're nothing of the sort... but you are, Lauren. Not many people would do what you did... would put the safety of others ahead of their own... Those little boys are alive and uninjured today... because of you, babe... Your mum asked if the police were any closer to knowing what had happened and Alfie said that they're not sure what it was that started the fire... maybe a cigarette... but the explosion was because of some dodgy hairspray Mo had 'obtained' from Fat Elvis... I'm pretty sure her name has just been scrubbed off the Branning Christmas card list... Kat said Mo was devastated... knowing that it was because of her that you're in here... I think you might be able to wrap Mo around your little finger when you get out of here, Lauren..." he paused, closing his eyes and saying a silent prayer that she would get out of here. "I need you to fight, Lauren... fight as hard as you possibly can to beat this... to get well again because I'm not ready to let you go... not again. I can't do it... you're too fucking important to me to even consider doing it... so I'm not going to let you... even if I have to shout at you to encourage you when you're down... to hug you when you're upset... to be there when you need someone to lean on for support..." he leant forward, "I'm here, babe... here for you... forever and always... for eternity..."

 **A/N: Poor, poor Joey… he really poured his heart out to Lauren then, didn't he? I hope she heard it… Will things get better for our fave couple soon? Send me a review and let me know your thoughts. Back tomorrow…**


	8. Chapter 8

**I've replied to all reviews now... hoorah! Here's another chapter... Hope you like it!**

 **Chapter Eight.**

Time passed slowly as the Branning family watched Lauren. Watched and waited. The first couple of days Lauren was pretty much circling the drain of life and each and every member of the family feared she wasn't going to make it. Joey barely left her bedside, surviving on catnaps and enforced snack breaks. The doctor kept a very close eye on her leg and back and while there didn't seem to be any sign of deterioration in either place, Joey could tell he wasn't completely satisfied with what he saw either. Four days after the operation the family were all waiting in the family room while the doctor examined Lauren and discussed her condition with a couple of consultants. Even Joey had been made to leave the room and he was currently nervously pacing around the waiting room.

The door opened and Joey froze, staring at the doctor, trying to get a measure of whether he had good news or bad. The doctor walked into the room, shutting the door behind him quietly and he took a seat opposite Max and Tanya.

"Sit down, Joey..." Max said, glancing at his nephew, seeing the anguish on his face. A sentiment he currently shared and was about as successful at hiding from those around him as Joey was. Joey didn't move and Max pulled away from his ex-wife and stood, taking the couple of steps towards the young man, his hand settling on his shoulder. "Come on, son..." he said softly and Joey seemed to come back to awareness, looking at him, a startled expression on his face. "Let's sit down and listen to what the doctor has to say..." Max said. Joey nodded and Max led him back to the seats at the side of the room, practically pushing him on the shoulders to get him to sit.

The doctor waited for a few seconds once they were all sitting, "As you know I've been monitoring Lauren's condition closely since her last operation," he started. "Over the last day or so I've grown a little concerned about her leg. It's not healing as well as I'd like it to be. The burns on her back are improving, it's just the area where the infection took hold that's still quite bad but it is showing signs that the drugs are starting to work..."

"So what does this mean?" Max asked softly.

"I asked a couple of my colleagues to come down and look at Lauren. One of them is a plastic surgeon... the other specialises in muscle damage and virology..." he explained, "They've both examined Lauren and we have a couple of proposals."

"Which are?" Tanya whispered.

"As I've told you before there was a lot of necrosis to the tissue of Lauren's left leg... my colleague has taken some cultures which he's going to look at under a microscope... our concern is that there is still damage being done. So our options for you are, we can wait for the test results to come back but that could be several days while we're waiting for them to develop, in which time Lauren's condition may worsen... or we make the decision to amputate her leg now and she should then make a significant improvement..."

Silence fell over the room as the stunned family took in what he'd said. "Are you saying that if you removed her leg she'd be okay?" Joey asked softly. "She'd definitely get better?"

"I can't promise that, Joey." The doctor replied.

"When you say amputate her leg... how much are you talking about?" Max asked as they all tried to absorb what the doctor was telling them.

"Having looked... and after consulting my other colleague, we would start with amputating at the knee... however, until I actually get in there, I won't know the extent until I'm actually doing the surgery..." he paused, staring at them all. "I realise this is a lot to take in... and I'll give you some time to think about it."

"Can I ask something?" Joey said.

"Of course..."

"If you don't amputate... what next?"

"My colleague would like to do a skin graft... taking a layer of skin from her thigh and placing it on her calf... It should heal nicely after some time..." He said, "He may also want to do a graft to a section of the base of her back, to reduce the scarring."

"Would that come from her thigh as well?" Max asked.

"Probably the other thigh but it would be a much smaller graft site." He explained. "I'll leave you to think it through." He said, getting to his feet, "Just let one of the nurses know when you've made a decision and I'll come back down to see you..." he said before leaving the room.

"Thanks doctor." Max said. Once the family were alone once more he glanced at Joey, "What do you think we should do, Joey?" he asked.

"Why are you asking him?" Tanya said with a frown.

"He knows Lauren better than anyone..." he said, glancing at his ex-wife.

"And he broke her heart... and left her..."

"She broke his too, Tan..." Max said, "Come on, babe... Do you have any idea about what Lauren would want us to do... because I haven't..." he stated.

"I think we should get him to operate..." Tanya said. "She'd want to be healthy... I want her to get better..." she told him.

Joey looked at her parents, seeing the signs of them building up to a row and wondering how to break it up. Jack saved the day, "So what do you think, Joey?" he asked.

Joey lowered his head, taking a couple of minutes to think it through. While he may know a lot of things about Lauren... more than most of the family, he was sure... this wasn't a subject they'd ever discussed in detail... not even in the last few days. His gut was telling him the answer though, "She wouldn't want the operation... not unless they really had to do it... Not unless it was a life or death situation... and we're not at that point yet." He said softly.

"Then we don't do it..." Max said, "We wait until the tests come back and see what they say..."

"We're not even going to discuss it?" Tanya said, looking at Max as if he'd just grown a second head on his shoulders.

"I don't think we need to, Tan. I trust Joey... I trust him to know what Lauren would want... And I think he's right. Lauren wouldn't thank us for making the decision to amputate her leg... not unless we really had to make that choice." Max told her.

"But I think we're at the point where we do need to make that choice..." Tanya protested. "You heard the doctor, he said she'd get better if he did it... she'd be better... she'd be awake..."

"He said he couldn't promise she'd definitely get better, mum..." Abi said, "Joey and dad are right, mum... Lauren wouldn't want us to do this... She'd want to wait and get the test results." She said as she leant against Jay's side.

Tanya slumped back in her seat, defeat written across her face, "Fine..." she muttered.

 **A/N: What an awful position for the family to be put in… and poor Joey, having to make that decision… Has he made the right choice? Or will he live to regret it? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine.**

Joey sat beside Lauren's bed once more. He'd left the room shortly after they'd agreed what they were going to do, needing to get away from the tension in the room for a short time. His eyes were locked on Lauren's face, wishing she would open her eyes and look at him… It was a wish she didn't answer. He reached forward, trying not to notice how his hand was shaking. He pushed some hair behind her ear and the memory of the conversation they'd had in the pub, after he'd ended their relationship came back to him. He remembered how she'd mentioned about him tucking her hair behind her ear. It wasn't something he'd ever really realised he did before but now he knew it was a habit for him… He apparently got as much out of it as she did… and as far as he could remember she was the only girl he'd done it to. There might have been one girl when he was much younger… but with Lauren, it was definitely different… it meant something.

"Hey babe…" he said softly, "It seems we've got another fight ahead of us." He whispered. "The doctors want to take your leg… but I refuse to let them… I can't let them do it. I know you can get through this… you're strong enough… You're a Branning… We're as strong as they come…" he said. He smiled slightly, "You're Lauren fucking Branning… and you can do anything… I know you can. And don't for a second think I won't be there for you… every second, babe… You're not getting rid of me again…"

 **A/N: So pretty short and sweet… but I thought we should hear just what Joey was thinking. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten.**

The test results came back and for once the Branning's had some good news. The need to amputate Lauren's leg was gone. Three days later she was taken down for surgery again and the plastic surgeon did the smaller skin graft operation on Lauren's back. It was decided that the larger, lengthier operation on her leg would happen a week later. This would enable the doctors to ensure there wasn't any more necrosis and it would give the wound a chance to heal a little more and Lauren would hopefully be a little stronger.

*JL*JL*

A fortnight after they were given the choices by her doctor, he'd finally started reducing the sedation so there was hope that Lauren would wake up sometime that day. As a result Joey was sitting with her once more, refusing to leave her side.

She'd been taken off the ventilator a couple of days earlier as her lungs had finally recovered from the smoke inhalation damage and she was now breathing much easier. She was still on an oxygen line into her nose and would be for probably another week but it was a definite improvement nonetheless. Joey was just pleased this meant he could see her face again and, as the antibiotics had kicked in and got rid of the infection, the skin on skin contact embargo had been lifted. Joey was very pleased about this and was constantly touching her. He kissed her too... and was looking forward to sharing a kiss with her, where she responded back to him.

"That furry animal is back..."

Her voice startled him, he hadn't even noticed that she'd opened her eyes. He smiled at her, "You're awake..." he said. He leant forward but she moved away from him, a horrified expression on her face.

"No way..." she murmured, "Not until you've shaved and got rid of that... thing..." she said and he chuckled. He laced his fingers through hers, squeezing them gently and her eyes shifted their focus to them, staring at them intently. The last time she'd been awake she'd had bandages on her hands. They were now gone. "How long?" she asked him.

"Just over three weeks in total..."

"Since the fire?" she whispered.

"Since you were last awake..." he clarified. She looked at his face, shock written across hers as she stared at him.

"Am I..." her voice broke slightly and she closed her eyes, trying to compose herself, "Am I still all here...?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes, babe... they managed to save your leg... It was a close thing at one stage..." he said, not telling her that it was down to him that she still had four limbs, "You've had a couple more operations though..." he told her.

"I have?"

"Yeah..." he said softly. He lifted his hand, brushing several strands of hair off her face and tucking them behind her ear. She turned her head slightly, pressing her cheek into the palm of his hand, smiling as she looked up at him. "They've done two skin graft operations, Lauren. A small graft to the base of your back and a larger one to your calf... The doctors are really pleased with the results and they think you'll make a good recovery..."

"I guess my mini skirt days are over then..." she murmured.

"The doctor thinks that in a few years' time, you'll hardly notice the scarring... and to be honest, babe... it's a lot better than missing a great big chunk of your leg which is how it was before the graft was done..."

"And better than no leg at all..." she admitted.

"Exactly..." Joey said, "Are you sure I can't kiss you?" he asked, a little bit of hope in his voice.

"Not until you've got rid of the fur..." she said. He pouted slightly, turning an adorable expression towards her, "That's not going to work, Joe..." she lied, her heart racing slightly as she stared at his face.

He smiled, "The machine is giving you away, babe..." he told her softly and Lauren sighed, closing her eyes as she felt her face flush. Joey took advantage of her momentary distraction and leant forward again, kissing her tenderly. He pulled away from her and she was staring at him.

"Joe..." she protested, but it was a weak protest at best.

"I love you..." he told her before leaning forward and kissing her once more. His heart soared as he felt her kiss him back. He pulled away from her again and her whole face was shining, a smile on her face that he'd thought he'd never see again. "I'd better go and shave then, hadn't I?" he murmured, getting to his feet. He bent down and kissed her again, "Don't go anywhere while I'm gone," he said, meaning to joke with her but the joke was lost by the seriousness behind his words.

"I'll be here..." Lauren reassured him, "I'm going nowhere..." she added. He nodded his head and stood again, turning and starting to walk out of the room, "Not without you anyway..." she called after him. Joey walked out of the room with a huge grin on his face.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked back into the room about forty minutes later, pausing in the doorway when he saw Abi sitting beside the bed, "I can go again..." he said, "Give you some time..."

"It's fine, Joey..." Abi said, "I was going anyway... I just came in to say goodbye to Lauren before we went..."

"Went?" Joey asked.

"Jay and I are heading back up to Bolton... we need to get things sorted. We can't really delay it any longer... not if I'm going to be ready to go to university at the end of the month..." She got to her feet and kissed her sister on the cheek, "Take care, Lauren... and call me if you want to talk at all..."

"I will." Lauren said, "and thanks, Abs..."

Abi started to head out of the room and she stopped in front of Joey. He was surprised when she hugged him tightly, "Thank you..." she whispered to him quietly. He was a little confused by what she'd said when she pulled away from him again, not quite sure what she was thanking him for. She left the two of them alone again.

Joey stood awkwardly at the edge of the room, "I thought your parents would be in here..." he said.

"They were but they've gone home for the night..." Lauren said, "I told them to go and spend some time with Oscar... he's hardly seen either of them since this all started. It's not fair on him..."

"Whitney and Bianca have been looking after him, I think..."

"I know... but he must be pretty confused..."

Joey walked over to the bed and sat back in his chair, "Who's your friend?" he asked, staring at the object next to Lauren.

Lauren smiled, "It's from Oscar... he wanted me to have his bear... as I'm feeling poorly..." she told him, "Mum bought it in... I nearly sent it home with her again... he loves his bear... but she said he'd be heartbroken if I didn't keep it... and he'd told her he could cope without him for one night... He was a big boy now..."

"You miss him..." Joey said.

"Yeah..." Lauren whispered.

"Once you're better, we could go and stay with your mum and Oscar for a while." Joey said, "You can spend some time with him..."

"That'd be nice..." Lauren whispered. She was staring at him and he started to feel a little unsure of himself.

"What?" he asked.

"You look good..." she told him.

"I do?"

Lauren nodded her head slightly, "Good enough to kiss..." she stated, her face colouring slightly.

"Really? Well, then I guess I shouldn't disappoint you, should I?" he said, smiling as he leant towards her and kissed her softly. The kiss quickly deepened, both of them taking it further than either had intended. Lauren moaned slightly when they eventually pulled apart. "You okay?" he asked her softly.

"Just the drugs starting to wear off a little." She said, "Turns out skin grafts hurt like fuck..." she said, shrugging slightly.

"Do you want me to go and get a nurse?" he asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No... It's fine... I can handle it for now."

"Just let me know if it gets too much..." he said, leaning his arms on the side of the bed.

"I will do, Joe." She said. She stared at him intently and Joey shifted, growing self-conscious under her perusal.

"What?" he said.

"Abi told me..." she whispered.

"Told you what?"

"What you did? That you stopped them..." she said softly.

"Oh..." Joey said, not sure what else to say.

"I don't know how to thank you..." she murmured.

"You don't have to thank me, babe…" he told her, pushing some hair back from her face again.

"I do, Joe… and you know it…" Lauren told him. She moved her hand wrapped her fingers around his, "You made the right decision, Joe… don't ever doubt it…"

"I won't… I didn't at the time… I was just worried the results would come back bad and the decision would be taken out of my hands…" He admitted, "And then if that happened, I was worried I'd have risked your health by leaving it too long…" He lowered his head and pressed his lips against the back of her hand, "I was scared I was going to lose you…" he murmured.

"You told me you weren't going to let me go…" she told him.

Joey lifted his head, staring at her face in shock, "You heard me say that…?" he whispered.

"I think so…" she said, "I don't remember it… but when I just said it, it was like I knew it was true…" She frowned as she spoke.

"I love you…" he breathed.

Lauren smiled, "Love you too…" she told him, "Forever and always... for eternity..."

 **A/N: Did you notice that Lauren said the same words that Joey did a few chapters ago? And she's awake… FINALLY! Now if this was Eastenders, no doubt she'd be out of hospital the very next day and everything would be fine and dandy… but this isn't Eastenders… so I'm afraid it isn't going to be like that… Are you worried now? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven.**

"Why on earth have I got to be in this thing...?" Lauren grumbled as Joey pushed her down the corridor of the hospital.

"It's hospital policy when patients leave, babe..." Joey said, not for the first time in the last twenty minutes. Lauren was finally being discharged today, leaving hospital almost five months after the fire and her arrival. The last three and a bit months had been difficult for her... and Joey. After a discussion with Max, Joey had decided to quit his job and focus his time on helping Lauren with her rehabilitation. They had grown closer as the days turned into weeks; turned into months and Joey had been able to support her through some tough times. Today was a landmark step though. Today Lauren was going home and Joey could tell she was slightly apprehensive about it. "It's going to be okay, you know, Lauren…" he told her, squeezing one of her shoulders reassuringly.

"I wish I could believe you…" she said.

Joey pushed her through the front entrance and they paused outside, Max's car pulling up in front of them after just a few seconds. Joey walked round to the back door and opened it, holding his hand out towards Lauren. She stood slowly, clutching his hand with one of hers as she reached for the side of the car. She moved the couple of steps to the car carefully, wary of each step… particularly on her left leg. Once she was sitting in the car and putting her seat belt on, Joey shut the door and then pushed the wheelchair back into the hospital. He jogged back out of the hospital and climbed into the car beside Lauren. Max drove out of the car park and soon they were heading back to Walford.

*JL*JL*

Joey put his arm around Lauren's shoulders, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head, "Love you…" he breathed.

"I know you do…" Lauren murmured, a hand running over his chest. His hand brushed up and down her arm, trying to help her relax but not actually achieving it. The closer they got to her home the tenser Lauren became. Joey could feel it ebbing through her frame and he hated it. She pulled away from him as the car drove down Bridge Street and through the market. He could see her eyes were locked on her hands as they were clasped in her lap. He knew she was avoiding looking out of the window, at the people milling about, at the house where she was hurt. Max pulled the car up outside the house and Joey leapt out of the car, rushing round to Lauren's side and opening her door for her before Max had even got out of the car. Lauren hadn't moved at all.

Joey crouched beside the door, "We're home, babe…" he said softly. Lauren nodded but still didn't move. "Do you want me to help you?" he asked, lifting his hand and brushing some hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Lauren lifted her head and he thought that meant she'd heard him but he quickly noticed her attention was locked on a house in the corner of the square. A house that was now a burnt out shell. "Babe…" Joey whispered.

Lauren turned her head sharply to look at him, "Gonna be sick…" she mumbled. She leant forward, out of the car and Joey supported her as she started to vomit into the road.

"It's okay, babe…" he told her, his free hand holding her hair out of the way.

Lauren stopped heaving and sat back up, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "Thanks Joe." She whispered.

"Come on, babe… let's get you inside…" he said, standing and then reaching into the car and lifting her into his arms.

"My leg is working now, Joe…" Lauren reminded him.

"I've kind of got used to carrying you everywhere though, babe…" Joey said, smiling at her softly, "besides, I like carrying you," he told her. Lauren rolled her eyes but rested her head on his shoulder. He carried her up the steps and through the front door. He lowered her gently onto the sofa, sitting down beside her, "Are you okay?" She nodded. "Are you sure?" he asked again, "You were sick outside…"

"It was seeing the house…" she told him, not needing to tell him which house she was talking about.

"It's okay, babe…" Joey whispered, "I understand…"

Max appeared in the doorway, "I took your bags up to your room, babe…" he said, "I put yours in Oscar's old room, Joey…" he added.

Lauren and Joey looked at Max, a little surprised by what he'd just said. "Dad…" Lauren said quickly. She could feel her chest tightened as she realised that for the first night in five months… she would be on her own. Alone. She was suddenly petrified.

"It's fine, babe…" Joey told her softly.

"But…" Lauren murmured, her body shaking slightly.

Joey leant forward, "I'll be there, babe…" he breathed in her ear. She relaxed against him and nothing more was said.

"Do you want some lunch?" Max asked them.

"Please dad…" Lauren said, "Something better than hospital food…"

"How about I go and get something from the chip shop?" he suggested.

"That would be great, dad…" Lauren replied. She glanced at Joey and then back at her dad, "If anyone asks, I'm not up to seeing anyone just yet…" she said, "I just need a few days to settle back in…"

"I'm sure they'll understand, babe…" Her dad said. "I won't be long." He walked back out of the house, the front door shutting behind him.

Lauren turned her head and looked at Joey, "It feels weird to be back here." She admitted to him.

"You feel weird to be back here?" he said and she giggled when she looked at his face, "The last time I was here…" his words faded and he hugged her against him.

"If I remember rightly, the last time we were here alone…" Lauren whispered, "was the first time we…" She trailed off with a shy smile.

"Babe, you're killing me here…" Joey said. Lauren giggled and leant over, kissing him gently. "Tease…" he added softly before kissing her back.

 **A/N: So we've skipped forward few months and Lauren is now home, although she's not completely healed yet. Joey has pretty much given up everything to look after Lauren… bless him. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve.**

The day passed slowly, the three Branning's having their tea and then Lauren slipped upstairs to go and have a shower, wanting to wash the hospital smell off her. Joey found Max watching him a couple of times while they were alone downstairs, Joey trying to focus on the random show he was watching on the TV and not the fact that the love of his life was naked and in the shower just a few feet away from where he was sitting.

"Joey…" Her voice filtered down the stairs and Joey quickly got to his feet, never so pleased to get out of a room in his life. He jogged up the stairs and found Lauren in her bedroom, a towel wrapped around her body. "Can you help me?" she asked him softly, holding a tube of cream out towards him, her eyes not meeting his.

This wasn't the first time he'd done this for her and yet she was always embarrassed when she asked. "Have you dried yourself?" he asked her softly, taking the tube from her.

"As best I can…" she murmured.

"Turn around, babe…" Joey said. She did as he asked and he reached for the towel. She let him pull it away from her body, standing there with just her knickers on, her arms wound around her front, covering her breasts. He could see she was tense. He gently patted the towel over her back, making sure the skin was completely dry. The burns on her back were slowly healing but they had greatly improved over the last few months. The worst part was still the base of her back, although the skin graft was healing well there too. Once her back was dry he opened the tube and squeezed a little onto his hand. He dabbed it onto her skin, softly rubbing it gently into the surface, being sure to not hurt her. He knelt down, going even more gently as he reached her lower back. She didn't flinch but he knew it still hurt her when he touched her there, even though it had healed. This cream would stop it from itching though, which had become a real issue for her in the last couple of weeks. As the graft continued to heal, it itched… so the cream kept the skin moisturised and it had the added benefit of stopping the itching.

He sat on the floor, repeating his actions on her right leg as she stood in front of him. Finally he only had her left leg to go. This was taking a lot longer to heal than her back and the graft was more than two weeks behind the one on her back. He also knew it gave her a lot of pain. He gently patted the surface with the towel and then began to put the cream on it.

He thought back to the physiotherapy Lauren had gone through in the last two months. After the skin graft to her leg… and once she'd got over the operation, she'd begun some low impact physio, simple stretching exercises to rebuild the strength in her muscles after two months of inactivity and on the areas with more minor damage from the fire. Despite the fact they were low impact, they had often left Lauren in tears and had tired her out. After a couple of weeks of that she'd finally got to move from the bed and so had begun the many, many hours of Lauren learning to walk again. Joey had been there… literally every step of the way… encouraging her when she wanted to give up… congratulating her when she achieved the next target… consoling her when she broke down in tears, unable to take another step. Joey had thought those times would be a strain on their relationship, especially when he'd had to be cruel to get her to continue… those had been really hard times… but somehow they'd become even closer. Joey was the only person Lauren had let in during that time, putting on a mask to hide her pain and feelings when the rest of the family was around them.

"All done…" Joey said softly as he wiped his hands on the towel.

"Thanks Joey," Lauren said in a whisper. Joey pushed himself to his feet and he moved so he was standing behind Lauren.

"You only have to ask, babe…" he murmured, kissing the side of her head.

*JL*JL*

It wasn't that late when Lauren went up to bed. She was sitting on the sofa with Joey, her head resting on his chest. They were watching TV… although if they were being truthful, Lauren was dozing and Joey was watching it. Her dad was sitting in the armchair, also watching it.

She stirred on his chest, "I'm going to go to bed…"

Joey tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Do you want me to come up with you?"

Lauren glanced at her dad, seeing him watching the two of them and she shook her head, "I'll be okay…" she said, not sounding in the least bit convincing to Joey.

"I'll check you're alright when I come up, babe…" he told her as she got to her feet and he sat up and kissed her softly.

Lauren walked slowly to the door, "Night dad…"

"Night Lauren." Max said, "It's good to have you home again."

She smiled, "It's good to be home…" she whispered.

*JL*JL*

"So what was that earlier?" Max asked about ten minutes after Lauren had left the lounge.

"What?" Joey asked.

"The look between the two of you when I said you were in Oscar's room?" Max asked, trying to appear nonchalant but not quite pulling it off. "Have you been sleeping with her at the hospital?" he asked his nephew.

"Of course, I haven't…" Joey said, somewhat indignantly. "As if I would do such a thing when she's been so sick…?" Joey looked at his uncle, pretty much disgusted by his uncle's harsh accusation.

Max had the decency to look ashamed, "So what was it?"

"She has difficulty sleeping…" Joey hedged, "I've been sitting by her bed… watching over her…" he admitted.

"I'm sure she'll be fine… now she's home…" Max said dismissively, turning back to the TV.

Joey stared at his uncle, surprised by his uncle's seeming callousness. He turned his eyes to the TV, pretending to watch it but thinking about what was likely to happen over the next few hours. In his heart he knew he couldn't let Lauren suffer on her own. His earlier promise to Lauren that she wouldn't be on her own became more determined, knowing that he would be there like he'd been ever since that first night at the hospital. An hour later Joey went upstairs as well. He walked into the bathroom and went to the loo, also cleaning his teeth. As he came out of the bathroom and walked towards his bedroom, his uncle was coming up the stairs.

"Night Joey." Max said, pausing to look at him.

"Night Uncle Max…" Joey said, opening the door for his room and then closing it behind him. He stood by the door and listened as he heard Max walk down the landing and then go into his room. It would be a few minutes before he could go back out so he changed into some jogging pants and a T-shirt. He glanced at his watch and then lay on the bed, his hands behind his head.

He thought back to the many days he'd spent at the hospital. Since Lauren had been taken there and Joey had got there after Max called him, he hadn't left. He'd spent all his time at the hospital… with Lauren. His mum (or Uncle Jack) would bring him a fresh bag of clothes every few days, taking away his dirty clothes. For the first month his mum would take him for a meal once a week, to ensure he had a decent meal… or as decent as you could get in the hospital canteen. When it was clear that Joey would be at the hospital on a much longer basis she took to bringing in home cooked food for him to eat. Once Lauren was feeling a little better, the meals were usually big enough for the two of them. Lauren loved his mum's cooking as much as Joey did. The one place he guaranteed being each night was beside Lauren's bed, sitting next to her bed as she slept. He was there, making her feel safe and protected. He was there when she woke up during the night and he'd talk to her softly, his fingers brushing through her hair to lull her back to sleep again.

*JL*JL*

He glanced at his watch again, it had been twenty minutes since Max had gone to bed. That should be enough time for him to fall asleep. He pushed himself to his feet, his bare feet making hardly any sound on the carpet as he walked to the bedroom door. He opened the door quietly and then went into the hallway, shutting the door just as quietly again. He took a couple of steps towards Lauren's room but no sooner had he done that, he heard Lauren start to scream.

He threw open her bedroom door and was at her bedside, dropping to his knees and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Lauren…" he said, squeezing her shoulders slightly. She was still screaming as she writhed on the bed, the duvet twisted around her body.

Joey heard Max coming out of his room but he focused on Lauren. He leant closer to her and brushed some sweaty hair off her face and behind her ear. "It's okay, babe…" he breathed in her ear. "I'm here…" he murmured.

"Joey…" she whimpered, still very much asleep.

"That's right, baby girl… I'm here… I'm going to protect you…" he told her. She was gradually calming down now and he continued talking to her softly. After about ten minutes and almost five minutes after she'd stopped screaming, her eyes opened, focusing on Joey's face.

"I was back there…" she said, tears welling in her eyes.

"It was a dream, babe…" he reassured her.

"It felt so real… I could feel the flames… my skin… the heat… it hurt so badly…"

"I know, sweetheart…" Joey said, brushing the hair back from her face again. He leant forward and kissed her softly, his thumb brushing over her cheek and wiping away some of the tears that had fallen. "It's over now…" he reassured her.

"I can't sleep… Every time I close my eyes, I'm right back there…" she admitted.

"Would it help if I stayed here… just like when we were at the hospital…" he asked her.

"It might…" she breathed.

"Let's get you a bit more comfortable, babe…" he said, pulling away from her and easing the duvet off her body, untangling it from her legs.

"Joe…" she whispered and he paused and looked at her. "Stay with me…" she pleaded with him.

"Shift over then…" he said, glancing at the doorway and seeing the blank expression on his uncle's face. Max stared at him and then turned, closing the bedroom door and walking back to his room. Joey climbed onto the bed after Lauren had shuffled across the bed towards the wall. He pulled the duvet up over the two of them and Lauren moved closer to him, turning on her side and resting her head on his chest. His arm wound around her body and he held her close, not that there was a great deal of room in the bed anyway. He pressed his lips against her forehead, running his fingers through her hair and he felt her body relax against his. Hopefully that would be the last time she woke up tonight.

 **A/N: So we've had an insight into how Lauren has been affected since the fire… at least she has Joey on hand to help her… What do you think about Max's reaction though…? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen.**

Lauren opened her eyes, feeling happy when she realised she was in her own home. It had been a long time since she'd woken up in her bedroom… in her own bed. It was just as she was thinking this through that she realised and she tensed. She knew her realisation was irrational but she found herself pulling away from Joey as he lay behind her. She was being silly, he'd seen her practically naked several times in the last few months… and very naked when they'd been together… and it wasn't like she was naked now. She was fully clothed, in leggings and a long sleeved T-shirt… but his body pressed up behind hers made her feel uncomfortable somehow. As she tried to move his arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her back towards him. Lauren closed her eyes, feeling his hard erection pressing against her thighs. Now she was feeling very uncomfortable and she took a deep breath and wriggled free from his arms.

She climbed out of bed, turning back towards Joey and staring at him as he lay, asleep in her bed. It was ridiculous how good looking he was… she loved him, always had done… there was no two ways about it. She just wasn't sure she was ready to have a sexual relationship with him again… or more to the point, she wasn't sure she was ready for a sexual relationship with anyone. She grabbed a couple of items and walked quietly out of the room and went into the bathroom. She went to the loo and as she was washing her hands she stared at her reflection in the mirror. This wasn't something she had done very much since the fire. She turned her head slightly from side to side, relieved once more to see that any burns that had been on her face were all gone. It was one of the few places that had fully healed… and it was her face… although that made her sound a little vain. She lowered her head again, seeing her hands as they gripped the side of the sink. Her hands hadn't fared too badly either. The back of both hands were still a little pink but she'd been reassured that they'd heal totally with a few more weeks.

She took another deep breath and reached for the hem of her T-shirt. She lifted it over her head and dropped it on the floor, not looking up at the mirror in front of her, her head lowered. She'd been wanting to do this for weeks but had wanted to do it on her own… without anyone around her… no one to see her reaction… not even Joey. She tried to mentally prepare herself, knowing that no preparation would ever make her ready. She picked up the small hand mirror she'd brought in from her bedroom. She closed her eyes and slowly turned round so her back was to the mirror. She bit her lip and lifted the mirror in her hand, opening her eyes and daring to look at the image in the reflection. She started at the top of her back, knowing it was the least damaged part.

There was still some red patches, although she had to admit it wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. Her skin was still very tight when she moved and she'd been imagining it was much worse, just from how it had felt. She reached her hand over her shoulder and tentatively touched the skin, another first… in fact something she'd actively avoided doing before. The skin felt strange… a bit like when you touch your face after you've had injections at the dentist… like it was someone else's face you were touching… well, this was a bit like that… very strange. Lauren wasn't sure she liked it. She frowned as her fingers continued to brush the surface and then pulled her hand away quickly, almost as if it'd stung her fingers.

She lowered the mirror briefly, needing to compose herself before she looked any further. Tears welled in her eyes and she covered her face, unable to stop the first sob from escaping. She let herself cry for a few minutes, hoping she'd feel better if she did so. She grabbed some toilet paper and wiped her face and blew her nose, grabbing the mirror once more and hoping the next bit wasn't going to be as bad as she'd thought as well. She got back into position and slowly lifted the mirror, angling it so she could see her lower back. She bit her lip, her tears returning as she saw the mess of pink, scarred skin. She'd been told that her back was healing nicely and looked a lot better now than it had before… and this now left Lauren wondering just how bad it'd been before because it looked fucking awful in the reflection.

She grabbed her T-shirt again and threw it back on, wincing slightly as her skin protested the quick movement. She'd intended to look at the back of her legs too, having avoided looking at them since the fire. She was now even more scared to look at them after seeing the massacre that was on her back.

There was a knock on the door and she wiped her face again, glancing in the mirror and sighing as she realised that she looked like she'd been crying. She opened the door, looking at Joey as he stood outside the room, "You okay, babe?" he asked, "You've been in here a while…" he added.

"Yes…" she breathed although they both knew it was a lie.

Joey called her out on it, "Tell the truth." He said softly.

Lauren reached for his hand and pulled him into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, "I was looking at my back…" she told him quietly. She tried to be strong as she spoke but her voice wavered and then the tears were pouring down her face once more.

Joey reached for her and pulled her against his chest, kissing the top of her head, "It's fine, babe…"

"It's not, Joey… It looks awful…"

"No, it doesn't, Lauren…" Joey told her, "It looked awful five months ago when it was all blistered and charred."

"But…"

"Do you want to know what would've looked even more awful?" Joey asked her. She lifted her head and looked up at his face, not answering his question but he spoke again anyway, "You in a coffin…" he told her. "That was what we thought was going to happen, babe… several times over those first few days…" he said. "And the doctors said the scarring would improve a lot as the months pass." He said.

"How is anyone going to want me when I look like this?" she said, "I might as well kill myself now…" she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Joey froze for several seconds and then he stepped forward, cupping both her cheeks, brushing her tears away with his thumbs, "I want you… I want you all the time, Lauren… I always have done and I always will…" He stared into her eyes, seeing doubt in them, "How I feel about you isn't going to change because of a few scars…"

"But I'm ugly…" she whispered. "You could do so much better…"

"No, I couldn't, Lauren… it's why I've been alone since I left the square…" he told her. "There is no one better for me, than you…" he said, "You're the other half of me… you complete me in a way that no other woman could… I don't want anyone else… I want you…" he said. He paused, taking a deep breath, "And you aren't ugly… you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met… that I'm ever going to meet…"

"Liar…"

"No, babe… I just have eyes… Anyway… beauty isn't just about what's on the outside, not that you have any problems on that front… it's about what's inside… about your heart… And you're a winner on that as well…" He said, "And I should count myself lucky that you even give me a second of your time… I'm the lucky one, babe…"

"I want to believe you… I do… but…" Her words faded and she lowered her head, resting her forehead on his chest.

"Just don't give up on me… on us, babe… that's all I'm asking… The rest of it will work itself out…" he promised her, kissing the top of her head. "I'm going to have a shower, babe… can I tempt you to join me?" he asked, smiling softly. This had become a long standing joke between the two of them when Lauren was finally well enough to take showers. He knew she was going to say no; she always did but her eyes sparkled and it made her smile and it seemed to ease the tension that grew between them.

"I'd better not…" she said, lifting her head and smirking at him, "I'll have one once you're done… then we can go and get breakfast…"

"Next time…" he said, continuing their joke, although always a little hopeful that next time she would say yes.

"Maybe…" Lauren winked at him. Joey smiled as he reached into the shower, starting the water running. When he turned to look back at Lauren, he found he was alone in the room.

 **A/N: Poor Lauren… I think she was quite brave to finally look at the damage that had been done in the fire… and some of them weren't as bad as she'd thought they would be which is good. And could Joey get any sweeter? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen.**

Joey and Lauren walked downstairs about an hour after they'd got up. Joey was watching as Lauren moved carefully down the stairs, watching every step she made as she slowly moved. They walked into the kitchen and found Max sitting at the table, working on some paperwork from the car lot.

"Morning dad." Lauren said.

"Sit down, babe…" Joey said, "I'll get us breakfast…" he said. She turned her head to look back at him, smiling gratefully. The last hour or so had tired her out more than she'd thought it would. She still had a long way to go in her recovery.

"You should sit down as well, Joey…" Max said, not looking up from his paperwork. "We need to talk… the three of us…"

"Can't I at least have a coffee first?" Lauren asked. Max lifted his head and looked at her. "And my painkillers?" she asked.

"Okay." He agreed.

Joey silently got the coffee ready, putting in the extra milk that Lauren always liked before carrying it and her tablets over to the table and placing the mug and packet of painkillers in front of her as he sat in a chair next to her. "Thanks Joey." She said. Both of them turned to look at Max, wondering what it was he wanted to talk to them about.

"It's about last night… "Max said, clearing his throat as he concentrated on closing the files he'd been working on, rather than looking at them. "I'm not happy with the two of you sleeping together…" He said, lifting his head and looking at Lauren.

"I need him there, dad…" Lauren admitted. "I can't sleep without him there…" she whispered.

"I just don't think you're at a place where you're ready for that kind of relationship…" he said.

"I'm not." Lauren said, "Believe me, dad… Sex is just about the furthest thing from my mind right now…"

"And I know she's not ready for that either, Uncle Max…" Joey said quickly, "I just want to be there for Lauren when she needs me…"

"And you can do that… staying in Oscar's room…" Max stated.

Silence hung in the room for a few seconds. "Dad…" Lauren said. He turned to look at her, "What were you expecting when you called Joey after I got taken to hospital?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well… you must've realised that we were probably going to get back together, right?" she said, "I was screaming his name, dad… I didn't even realise I was doing it… I just needed him there… with me…" she told them both softly. "It's no different now, dad… He stops the bad dreams…" she said. "It means I can sleep at night without remembering what happened… He keeps me sane…"

Max stared at her, seeing the honesty on her face and her words broke his heart. "You've been through a lot, sweetheart…" he said softly.

"I have, dad… and I need Joey…"

"Uncle Max… I promise I won't force myself upon Lauren… I won't do anything in this house with her…" Joey said.

Lauren looked at him, trying to keep the hurt off her face as she took in his words. What was he saying exactly? Was she that unattractive now that he didn't want her? She picked up her mug of coffee, taking a large gulp from it and then pushing to her feet, picking up her tablets and walking through to the lounge, mug in her hand.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked into the lounge a little while later and sat on the sofa next to Lauren, "Babe…" Lauren looked at him, not saying anything but seeing the guilty expression on his face. "Mum just called, I need to go home…"

"But…" Lauren said, biting her lip and stopping herself from saying anything more. Clearly he'd come to a decision about their relationship. She'd just have to struggle on without him. On her own.

He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head as she sat tensely in his arms. "I tried to get out of it but I couldn't… my mum needs me…"

Lauren was dying to say she needed him too but she kept her mouth shut. "When will you be back?" she whispered.

"I don't know, babe…" he breathed into her hair. "I'd better go and get my things…" He pulled away from her slightly, staring at the side of her head, "You'll keep up your physiotherapy, right?" he said. Lauren nodded. "And I'm sure your dad can put the ointment on for you… or you could give Whitney a call… I'm sure she'll help…" he added.

"I will…" Lauren murmured, having no intention of doing as he said. He kissed the top of her head again and then got up from the sofa and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut. She heard him go upstairs and then he was moving around Oscar's bedroom, no doubt packing up his belongings.

*JL*JL*

Lauren stood in the window, hidden by the curtains, watching as she saw Joey walking away from the house and out of the square. And more importantly out of her life once more. Her heart was breaking… again… and for the first time in months… for the first time since the fire, she was craving a drink. She certainly couldn't do that though. Almost killing herself for the second time in the space of a few months was a bit much. She was completely alone for the first time since the fire… and she didn't like it. She thought about calling her dad but she knew he'd missed a lot of work over the last few months and the car lot was currently struggling, even with Charlie Cotton's help. Her dad was pretty stressed about it and she didn't want to add to his worry even further than she'd done already. Anyway the truth of the matter was, it wasn't her dad she wanted. The person she wanted was currently disappearing from the square for a second time in just over a year.

 **A/N: Oh dear… oh dear, oh dear… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	15. Chapter 15

**So a lot of you are hating on Max right now... Do you think he had something to do with Joey leaving? Would he do that to his daughter? Maybe this chapter will answer that... I'll reply to reviews shortly for yesterday's chapter... xx**

 **Chapter Fifteen.**

Max had been watching Lauren. He had been ever since he'd got home after a long day at the car lot. He'd been somewhat surprised when Lauren had told him that Joey had left. That hadn't been his intention when he'd spoken to them both that morning and Lauren had told him it wasn't a problem but it didn't stop him from feeling guilty and looking at her now though he wasn't sure he believed her.

She'd been sitting on the sofa ever since he'd got home. He appeared in the lounge, carrying their plates in from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready, babe…" he said. She looked at him and then got to her feet, walking carefully to the table and sitting down. He continued to watch her, seeing how she pushed her food around the plate, taking a small mouthful every couple of minutes, when she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. Max said nothing… much as he wanted to. He knew she would push him away and she needed someone to make sure she was okay.

*JL*JL*

Lauren went up to her room, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She glanced at the ointment that was sitting so innocently on her bedside table. She was supposed to have a shower now… and then put the lotion on her skin so it remained soft, didn't dry out and it would help to aid with the healing. Lethargy took over her body so she sat on the edge of the bed and changed into the clothes she slept in. She climbed into the bed, pulling the duvet up over her body as she ignored the lotion and the instructions from the burns team at the hospital. She didn't care if she ended up being scarred. It's not like anyone was going to want her anyway…

 **A/N: Lauren is having a bit of a pity party… and who can blame her, she's gone through a lot, bless her. I wonder why Joey really left… and is he coming back? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	16. Chapter 16

**Another short chapter but if I get enough reviews, I'll post a second chapter tonight... as a one-off...**

 **Chapter Sixteen.**

Max opened his eyes, glancing quickly at the clock and seeing it was barely two in the morning. He wondered briefly what it was that had woken him up. He closed his eyes, hoping he'd be able to get back to sleep. And then he heard it again.

"JOEY!" a bloodcurdling scream came from his daughter's room.

Max was moving before she'd even finished screaming Joey's name, he threw open his bedroom door, racing down the hallway to Lauren's room. He opened her door and made his way to her side, seeing her writhing on the bed as she dreamt… still screaming just one word. He sat on the edge of her bed, his hands reaching for her wriggling body. "Lauren, babe…" he said, softly but it didn't wake her. "Lauren…" he said, a little louder. Still no effect.

"JOEY!" She screamed over and over.

He brushed his hand through her hair, hoping it would comfort her somehow. It didn't. After five minutes of trying to comfort her he got up and walked out of the room, jogging downstairs as her screams chased after him. He grabbed the phone and dialled Joey's mobile… hoping to God that he answered it.

It rang for several minutes before finally it was answered… just as Max was about to give up and go back upstairs to his still upset daughter. "Uncle Max?" Joey murmured into the phone, his voice sounding as if he'd just woken up… which Max guessed he had. "What is that?" he asked.

"Lauren… it's Lauren…" Max said.

"Is she screaming my name?"

"Yes, Joey… I know it's a lot to ask and I'm sure you had a reason for leaving but… would you be able to come over…? I've tried to wake her… to comfort her but…" He trailed off, part of him hating having to ask his nephew for help. He put his free hand on his forehead, leaning his elbow against the wall, "She needs you, Joey… she needs you…" he said softly, realising quickly that it wasn't just Lauren that needed Joey… he did too.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?" Joey said and Max could hear him already moving around his room.

"Thanks Joey…" Max said, somewhat defeated by what was happening. He'd never felt so useless in his life.

 **A/N: And it goes from bad to worse… Poor Max, for now realising that he's not what his daughter needs… and hating it but having the strength to call Joey and ask for his help. And yet again, Joey is running to Lauren's aid… Will Lauren open up to either of them? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back later if I get enough reviews…**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen.**

Heat surrounded her, everywhere was burning and she felt helpless. The inferno seemed to have come from nowhere. She remembered an explosion as she was carrying Bert and Ernie into their room to put them in their cot. The sound had hit her first and she'd cradled the twins in her arms, not wanting to put them down right now until she knew what was happening. One quick glance towards the door and she could hear the sound of fire in the hallway. Fear gripped her heart and she might have clung to the babies a little tighter than she should've done and they both began to cry. Maybe it was just them picking up her own emotions.

Ernie was crying the hardest and struggling in her arms so she kissed him softly on the crown of his head, hoping it would soothe him a little. It did but his crying also set Bert off. She was rapidly trying to think of what she could do to get them out of the room… out of the house… but she knew their only exit was blocked and there was no way she could jump… not with the boys. She'd done that before when she'd been trying to escape from the house after her mum locked her in… and she'd nearly done herself a lot of harm then but luckily her dad had come home and helped her. She was on her own with this… she needed to work out how she would protect the boys from the fire… and hope that someone would come and rescue them… soon.

She moved over into the far corner of the room, as far from the door and the fire as she could get. She crouched on the floor, the boys huddled against her chest, her back to the door. Smoke was starting to filter into the room now and Lauren began to cough.

*JL*JL*

Max stood in the hallway, hovering between the front door and Lauren's room, not sure if he should go back up to her or not. He was no use to her and it clearly wasn't him she wanted anyway. She was still screaming for Joey… each cry she released filled with so much pain and anguish it was painful for him to hear. In many ways it was worse than when she was being taken to hospital… then her cries fell to a whimper at times, still constantly saying Joey's name, but not with the same level of anxiety. He wanted to help her… to stop her from being upset and in his heart he knew he'd done just what he needed to do but he still felt like he'd failed her somehow.

*JL*JL*

The flames licked her back, blistering her skin, the burn of them penetrating her senses and sending a wealth of pain throughout her body. It was agony and she wanted it to be over. Bert and Ernie were crying, scared by the heat and the smoke in the air… or maybe she was squeezing them too tightly in her arms as she fought the pain in her back and legs. She wasn't sure but in a way it was reassuring to hear them making a noise because it told her they were still okay… She couldn't focus on them right now… all she could absorb was the pain as it ebbed through her body. It was excruciating and she wished it was over but she knew she couldn't give up. She closed her eyes, willing herself to think of something else… needing the distraction of something to focus on instead. Her mind grasped at the one thing she knew would help… his smiling face appearing in her mind and making her smile, although it may have resembled more of a grimace. Everything else became a blur as she pushed it all away, grasping for the image of his smiling face before it all. She was aware of a noise surrounding her, not quite able to pick out what it was… all she could imagine was the last time she'd seen him… how he'd pushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear… in the way that spoke volumes to her… that said more to her about how he felt about her than any words ever could.

*JL*JL*

The doorbell rang and Max opened it as the chimes were still fading. Joey didn't say anything at all, his eyes looking up the stairs as he walked past his uncle and ran up the stairs, his strides getting faster the closer he got to her. Max stared after him, part of him wanting to follow and see what his nephew did differently to him but also not wanting to be shown how much he couldn't help his daughter. He was kicking himself for not intervening earlier. He'd known there was something wrong with Lauren when he got home from work but he'd thought she'd speak to him about it if she'd needed to talk. Sometimes there was only so far you could push Lauren before she pushed you away completely.

*JL*JL*

Joey knelt beside Lauren's bed, staring at her face as she screamed his name over and over. He could only imagine what she was dreaming about and once more he regretted his decision to leave the house earlier. He'd known as he'd left that he was making a mistake but he'd needed to go home as well. He was between a rock and a hard place. "Baby girl…" he said, the back of his fingers brushing away the tears on her face before tucking some hair behind her ear.

 _Lauren stared in front of her, surprised and yet not to see him in front of her. He was just what she needed but then she remembered where they were and she began to worry about him getting hurt. That wasn't what she wanted… She cried out his name and he smiled at her._

Joey pulled Lauren into his arms, dragging her carefully off the bed and onto his lap as he cradled her tenderly, kissing the top of her head, rocking her gently as he tried to soothe her. He wasn't wholly successful.

 _Lauren held the boys tighter against her chest, shuffling forward on her knees, ignoring the pain as she moved towards Joey. He cradled her in his arms, making her feel safe for the first time since this nightmare began. Now she was confident that she'd be able to get out of the fire… that she'd be safe and she would've looked after the twins as well… not letting anyone down… for a change. Something didn't feel right though… she knew that he shouldn't be there… he wasn't in Walford any more… Why was he here? It came to her in a flash… This wasn't real. He wasn't really here… which made her feel much better. This wasn't real… which meant she wasn't here either._

He felt the moment she woke up, her scream fading to a whisper on her lips and then the tears came faster, rolling like rivers down her face as she shook in his arms. "It's okay, babe… I'm here…" he reassured her.

"Don't leave me…" she whispered, pleading with him, more to herself than to him.

"I won't, baby girl… I'm here to stay…" he breathed into her hair, kissing the top of her head gently. "I love you… more than life itself… I'm not leaving you again…" The room fell silent, Lauren's shaking breaths the only noise being made. He rocked her slightly, his hand brushing her back softly, mindful of the still healing wounds she had.

"You left me earlier…" she eventually whispered, her body tensing in his arms as she waited for his answer.

"I had to go home, babe… mum called and the washing machine had broken and was leaking water all over the floor. I had to go and help her, didn't I, eh?" he said, "I couldn't just leave her in a mess like that, could I?" he said.

"I needed you too…" she said.

"I was always going to come back, babe… I was going to be back first thing in the morning… I was going to bring some more of my stuff back with me… and one of mum's steak pies…"

"You were?" she asked him.

"Always…" he reassured her.

"Okay…" she breathed.

"I'll have to nip home again tomorrow…" he said and he kissed her forehead when he felt her tense. "I was in such a rush to get here I didn't bring anything with me… I've got even less with me than I had before I went home… and I can bring the pie mum made especially for you back with me…"

"She made it for me?" Lauren whispered.

"Well, I told her how much you enjoyed the piece we had that she brought into the hospital… so she made it for you this afternoon… while I sorted out the washing machine…"

"Maybe I could come with you tomorrow… say thank you to her…" she murmured.

"Of course you can, sweetheart… if you think you're up to it…" he said, "We'll have to come back on the tube though… I've got to take mum's car back to her…"

Lauren nodded her head, curling up against his body as he held her tightly. "I love you, Joe…" she breathed.

"Love you too, baby girl…" he said. He squeezed her a little tighter in his arms and she winced.

"Ouch…" she mumbled.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked. She wouldn't look at his face so he lifted her chin, staring into her eyes. "Babe?" Her face turned red and he knew what had happened before he even voiced the question. "Did you put the lotion on?" he asked her unnecessarily. She turned her face away from him and shook her head. "Why not, babe?" She shrugged. "That's a lie, Lauren… tell me…"

"I didn't care…" she whispered.

"Didn't care about what?"

"If it scars…" she admitted. "No one's going to want me anyway… I'm already flawed… what are a few scars on top of that…"

"I want you… I want you so fucking much… more than I've ever wanted anyone, Lauren. I wake up every morning and you're the first thing I think of… It was like that even after I'd left Walford… it's even worse now… Now I wake up with you in my arms and I feel more every moment…"

"Why Joe?" she asked, "I'm not the same girl I was when we were dating… and I can't go back to being that person…"

"I love you the way you are now as much as I did when we first got together." He told her, "You're beautiful, inside and out… and yes, okay, you're not the same person you were but neither am I… We all change, Lauren… everything that happens to us changes us… I wouldn't want to be the same person I was when I first arrived in Walford… and you wouldn't want me to be either…"

"I guess…" Lauren murmured.

"Now, take off your clothes and I'll put the lotion on for you…" he said.

Lauren giggled and it was refreshing to hear her do so after so many months. "I need a shower first…" she told him.

"Would you like some company?" he said with a smirk, only half serious.

"I think that wouldn't be wise, Joe…" Lauren said, "Maybe you should go downstairs and reassure dad I'm okay…"

"I think the fact you're no longer screaming my name would be a good indication of that already, babe…" Joey said, that smirk growing. He moved his mouth to her ear, "One of these days I'm going to get you screaming my name for a completely different reason, baby girl… one that we'll both enjoy much more, I promise…" Lauren's face flushed and she pulled out of his arms, glancing at him once before heading out of the room and into the bathroom.

*JL*JL*

It was an hour later before Joey climbed into bed with Lauren. He'd put the lotion on her burns, taking the same care he always showed with his task. Max had relented and had gone back to bed after Joey had reassured him Lauren was much better now. Joey cradled Lauren in his arms, her head resting on his chest and his fingers brushing through her hair. "Thanks for coming back, Joe…" she breathed before closing her eyes for one last time.

Joey watched her, wanting to make sure she was properly asleep. "Always, baby girl…" he told her sleeping form, kissing the top of her head. "Always…" He closed his eyes, falling into a light sleep, ever conscious of the girl in his arms.

 **A/N: So Joey had only gone home temporarily. It's fair to say that our favourite couple need to work on their communication somewhat… Maybe Lauren wouldn't have been as upset if she'd known that Joey was coming home the next day. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen.**

Lauren opened her eyes and realised she was once more in Joey arms, his body spooned up behind her… his hard length digging into her thighs. Yesterday morning this had bothered her and she couldn't say there wasn't still a little bit of that emotion lingering… but something had changed between then and now. While she wasn't completely convinced that things were going to work with Joey she did feel a little better about it than she had the previous day. As a result she stayed where she was, smiling as she felt Joey's arms tighten around her body… and then one of his hands cupped a breast and Lauren giggled.

She lay where she was for some time, hoping that Joey would wake up soon. Apart from anything else, she needed the loo. Quite desperately now she thought about it. "I need to get up, Joe…" she murmured softly, trying to pull his arm away from her. His arm tightened around her, "Joe… please…" she whispered, still trying to escape.

"Always come back to you, babe…" he murmured and she knew he was still half asleep.

"I know, Joe…" she said, "But I've got to leave… right now…" she said again, "or I'm going to end up doing something we'll both really regret…" She wriggled once more in his arms and he eventually loosened them slightly so she was able to escape. She limped out of the bedroom to the bathroom and sat on the loo. She glanced down at her legs, rolling her left ankle slightly, feeling the tightness and regretting once more that she hadn't put her lotion on like she was supposed to the night before. Her skin felt tight this morning… as if she was wearing someone else's and not her own. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly and wishing she could go back in time… to before the fire. That thought stopped her short… there was one thing she didn't regret from her life right now… and that was having Joey back in it again. She'd missed him a lot more than she'd been willing to admit but then, when she'd needed him, he'd come back… despite everything it cost him to do so. She felt a little guilt about the fact he'd quit his job… for her. He'd put the last five months of his life on hold… for her… but she loved him for it. And she probably always would.

A couple of minutes later she got back to her feet, trying not to wince as she bent down to pull her clothes back up. Her back was killing her today as well… another aftereffect of not doing as she'd been told the night before. She needed painkillers… not that she liked to rely on them too often but she could tell today was going to be one of those days. She flushed the loo and walked towards the door, sighing as she pulled it open. She stopped, "Stalker much?" she asked.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay…" Joey said, leaning against the wall as he looked at her.

"Last time I saw you, you were still fast asleep…" she said, smirking at him when his face coloured.

"Yeah, well, I was tired, wasn't I…? I had to make a quick dash across London in the middle of the night, eh?" he said, his arm winding around her waist as he breathed in her ear. "Something about someone I love screaming my name…" he added softly.

"Don't Joe…" she said, pulling out of his arms and heading towards her room. "Ouch…" she murmured as her back twinged again.

He caught her hand, stopping her from leaving and then stepped behind her, his arm winding around her waist. "What's wrong?" he breathed into her hair.

"Just wishing I'd put the lotion on when I should've done last night… my skin feels a bit tight this morning…" she said, not bothering to try and hide it from him, knowing he'd just keep pushing her to tell him.

"Let's go back into your room then, eh?" he said, "I can put some more of the lotion on you…" he told her, kissing the back of her head, "And when we go downstairs I'll get you some of your painkillers…"

Lauren turned to face him, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist, "Thanks Joe…" she whispered.

 **A/N: Lauren is regretting her self-pity the night before now and is in a lot of pain. She also feels a little guilty about everything that Joey has given up to be with her… Not that I think Joey regrets what he's done. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen.**

"Strip babe…" Joey said once they were back in her room.

"I bet you say that to all the girls…" Lauren said, her joke falling flat because they could both hear the vulnerability in her words.

"I told you, babe… there's only one girl in my life… and that's you…" he said, picking up the tube of lotion and unscrewing the top. "Now are you going to strip?" he asked, turning to face her. She sighed and said nothing, turning away from him and pulling off her top. She stood silently, her top clutched to her chest as he dabbed the lotion onto her skin. "This is improving every day, babe…" he reassured her as he continued down her back. "It's so much better than it was after the fire…"

"You really think so?" she whispered.

"I do, baby girl…" he said as he finished her back.

"You'd better do my legs as well then…" she breathed, closing her eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked her. To her credit she only paused for a couple of seconds before she nodded her head. He moved his hands to the waistband of her jogging bottoms and slowly moved them off her hips. He felt her body shake slightly… it wasn't often she let him see her almost completely naked, save for the knickers she was wearing. He knew she was trusting him a great deal by doing this. He pushed them down her thighs, his fingertips grazing her skin and making her shiver. "You okay?" he whispered.

"Uh huh…" she said softly, both of them knowing her response was a lie.

He leant forward and kissed her hip, hearing her gasp as he did so. "Good…" he breathed against her skin. The jogging bottoms dropped from his hands and fell to the floor. He sat on the floor, his legs either side of her feet and he gently dabbed the lotion on the back of her legs, sensing the tension in her as he did. "So we can head over to mum's once we've had breakfast… if you still want to come that is…?"

"Yeah, it'll be nice to see her…"

"She'd love to see you again too."

"Hopefully I look a little better this time…" Lauren said.

"You do, babe… but then I always think you look good, don't I?"

"If you say so…" she said.

Joey got to his feet and stood behind her, "I do…" he murmured, sweeping her hair off her shoulder and kissing it softly. "Do you know what else I say?" he said as he kissed to the base of her neck and then slowly climbed up it. She shook her head and he could just about see she was biting her lip. "You are gorgeous… and sexy… and if it didn't mean breaking everything I promised your dad I wouldn't do… I'd be showing you just how much I want you…" Lauren was breathing heavily by this point and Joey lifted a hand, pushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "Would you like that?" he murmured.

"Yes…" she gasped. She turned her head, her mouth mere millimetres from his and the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly, "What he doesn't know…" she breathed. Joey's eyes widened, taking a couple of seconds to absorb her words.

"Really?" he whispered.

"Show me, Joe…"

Joey moved his head fractionally forward, his lips on hers and he kissed her, deepening it when she opened her mouth at his beckoning. She moaned into his mouth as his hand swept over her stomach and then slipped into her knickers. He knew this wasn't what she'd been expecting but he also knew she wasn't up to anything more. And that was okay with him… he wanted her in any way he could have her. His fingers brushed over her clit and she lifted her arms, winding them around his neck so he wrapped his free arm around her body, pulling her against him. They were both breathing deeply as the kiss ended and he stared at her face, seeing the desire on her face and in the eyes. He pressed his groin against her hips, letting her feel his arousal and she closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip. "I can feel how much you want this, baby girl…" he murmured, kissing her softly. His fingers danced around her clit and she whimpered. She also tensed slightly. "Relax, babe…" he breathed. "Let me do this for you… let yourself feel…" She stared up at his face, so many emotions in her eyes, but the predominant one being fear. "It's okay, babe… I'll catch you… I won't let you fall…" He pressed his lips against her forehead, falling silent as his fingers left her clit and began to touch her in the way she desired. He studied her face, seeing the tears as they pooled in her eyes… his heart breaking as several escaped and rolled down her cheeks. "I've got you…" he murmured as he felt her clench around him, her body shaking in his arms as her orgasm ebbed through her body. He stopped moving his hand as she sagged against him and he pulled her against his body, holding her there as he kissed her forehead tenderly. "I've got you…" he murmured.

*JL*JL*

Lauren pulled away from Joey, looking up at his face. Her hand ran down his body and she cupped his groin. "You don't have to do that, babe…" he told her softly.

"I've got to look after you as much as you look after me…" she replied.

"You don't… not now… not until you're ready…" he said.

"I'm ready now…"

"You aren't Lauren… you know you aren't…" he breathed into her hair, kissing the top of her head tenderly. She looked up at him and he could see the accusation in her eyes. "Hey… none of that… You know I want you… I've always wanted you…" he told her. "You're all I think about… but I want us to wait until the time is right… I can wait until you're ready."

"But…"

"Babe, you've been through so much in the last few months and you're still recovering… The skin on your back is delicate and needs to heal more than it has and I don't want anything we do together to result in you being hurt…"

"I'll be fine…" she whispered.

"Babe, you've already admitted that you're in a lot of pain today… so now isn't the right time and you know it…"

"I guess…" she grudgingly admitted.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren walked down to the kitchen, finding Max sitting at the table, reading a newspaper. Lauren's dad looked up as she walked into the room and she smiled at him, seeing the concern on his face. "I'm fine, dad..." she said softly, sitting at the table next to him. He leant towards her and hugged her carefully.

"You're making me an old man, babe..." he told her quietly. "I'm getting grey hairs..."

Lauren giggled, "Don't you need to have some hair to get grey ones, dad?" she teased.

"Ha, ha..." Max said but he was smiling at her nonetheless. "So what are you two doing today?" he asked as Joey put a mug of coffee in front of Lauren and then sat down with his own.

"I've got to go back to my mum's... collect my stuff... and take the car back..." Joey said.

"I was going to go with him... see his mum again..." Lauren said.

"When are you doing that?"

"Soon." Joey said.

"I could come over in a couple of hours and pick you both up?" Max offered.

"It's okay, dad... we can come back on the tube..." Lauren said.

"Don't be silly, babe... I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it... and this way, Joey can bring back more stuff with him and you won't hurt yourself carrying anything."

"I'm not an invalid..." Lauren protested, both annoyed but grateful that they both seemed to want to wrap her in cotton wool. She felt loved by them both… loved and protected… and slightly mollycoddled…

"We know that, babe... but you've not long been out of hospital and neither of us wants to see you pushing yourself too fast..." Joey told her, reaching for her hand and squeezing it gently.

Lauren sighed but said nothing else, knowing she was never going to win an argument against both of them at once and choosing to pick her battle another time. She glanced at her dad, "Thanks dad..." she said before taking a sip from her mug.

 **A/N: A chapter that ties up a few loose ends. Lauren knows that her dad and Joey are just trying to look after her… but she also gets a little annoyed by it. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty.**

Lauren sat in the front of Joey's mum's car as he drove back to his house. She was slightly nervous about seeing Maggie again. When she'd been in hospital Maggie had popped in a few times, bringing them food or clean clothes for Joey but a majority of the times Lauren had been completely out of it. She'd only seen her to speak to once but it had been a short conversation and now Lauren was a little concerned about how she would be after Joey had given up so much to look after her. There was a little part of her that suddenly wished she'd stayed in the safety of her home in Walford but she knew she needed to face his mum at some stage and now was as good a time as any.

Joey, maybe sensing her nerves, reached over to her and took a hand in his, squeezing it gently. "You okay, babe?" he asked.

"Yeah," She said, "Just a little nervous about meeting your mum properly..." she admitted.

"Don't be... she's going to love you... almost as much as I do..." he replied, brushing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Will Alice be there?" Lauren asked.

"Maybe... I'm not sure to be honest..."

"I forgot to ask... has she got a job... since..."

"Since she was released?" he asked and Lauren nodded. "She's been looking but she has to state what happened on the forms so it's been difficult... even though she was innocent. Mum managed to get her a job where she works a few months ago and she does a few shifts there... but she's looking for something more permanent. Mum suggested she go back to college... get a qualification in childcare as she enjoyed looking after Scarlett so much but Alice wasn't keen." He pulled his hand free from hers and changed down a gear and then turned at the crossroads, "I think she just needs to think things through some more and work out what she wants to do and then go about achieving it."

"It'd be nice to see her again... if she's there..." Lauren said.

"If she isn't, we can always arrange to come over again and make sure she'll be around this time..." Joey told her.

"I'd like that..." Lauren breathed.

"Alice wanted to come to the hospital after the fire but I put her off, knowing you didn't really want to see anyone right then..." Joey told her.

"Yeah, it wasn't my finest moment when I was there... I wasn't really a great person to visit, was I?" she said, "God knows how you stuck it out as long as you did..."

"You were going through a lot, babe... you're entitled to feel crappy when you've been through what you have..." He said softly, "and I stuck around because I love you, don't I, eh?" he added.

*JL*JL*

The car pulled up outside a house and Joey turned off the engine. "You ready?" he asked her.

"As I'll ever be..." Lauren replied. They got out of the car and Joey waited for her on the pavement, seeing the small grimace of pain on her face after being stationary for the journey. He slipped his hand into one of hers and they made their way slowly up the path to the front door.

Joey rang the bell and after a minute the front door opened, Lauren smiling when she saw Alice standing there. "LAUREN!" Alice said excitedly, "I hoped you'd come here with Joey..."

"Hi Alice..." Lauren said. Joey ushered her into the house and Alice stepped forward to hug her.

"Is this okay? Or will it hurt you?" she asked her cousin softly.

"It's fine, Al... just not too tight, okay..." Joey told her.

Alice hugged Lauren gently, like her brother had said and Lauren wound her arms around Alice's waist, closing her eyes as her emotions spiralled slightly. "I'm so glad you're okay, Lauren... I was so worried when Joey got the call from your dad..." Alice whispered to her.

"I'm glad you're okay too, Al..." Lauren said back to her, "I'm sorry I didn't call you... after what happened... I was going to and then the whole Lucy thing..." Her words faded and the two girls pulled apart.

"It's fine, Lauren... I wasn't in a great place when I came home anyway..." She admitted. "We'll have to get together though..."

"I'd really like that." Lauren said in confirmation.

"Let her breathe, Alice..." Joey's mum said, chuckling as she saw Alice blush. She stepped forward and gave Lauren a small hug of her own, "It's good to see you again, sweetheart..." she said softly, "You're looking much better than you did last time..."

Lauren's face flushed this time, "Sorry... I know I wasn't at my best when you came in..."

"It's perfectly understandable, Lauren... I'm sure we'd all be the same if we were in your situation..." she said. "I hope you're feeling better this morning..."

"Yes... I'm sorry my dad called so late last night..." Lauren murmured, glancing at Joey.

"It's fine, darling..." Maggie said. "I'm glad Joey could be there for you..."

"I brought the car back, mum..." Joey said, seeing the slight awkwardness appearing on Lauren's face. "And I've come to get my things..."

"Do you want the car again to take them back?" she asked.

"My dad is coming over to collect us... we just need to call him when we're ready..." Lauren said.

"Oh, well... how about I fix us some lunch then... do you think your dad would like some as well?" Maggie asked.

Lauren shrugged, wincing as she remembered how sore she was today. "Probably... his alternative is eating at the Vic which would be something exceedingly unhealthy..." she said, her voice strained.

"Babe... is your back still bothering you?" Joey asked.

"A little..." Lauren admitted.

"Right, let's get upstairs... sort you out..." Joey said, taking her hand and pulling her towards the stairs.

"I'll call my dad and let him know about lunch," Lauren said, "What time shall I get him to come over?" she asked.

"Whenever he can get here... it won't take me long to get something ready..." Maggie replied.

Lauren followed Joey up to his room, taking a few minutes to look around it, seeing odd bits that harked back to his childhood. Part of her wished she'd known him then as well... she wondered if things would be different between them if they'd grown up knowing each other. She took her mobile out of her bag and dialling her dad's mobile. "Hi dad," she said when he answered. "Joey's mum was wondering if you'd like to join us for lunch... She was going to make some for us all..."

"Sure, babe... that would be nice..."

"What time do you think you'll get here?" she asked him. "So I can give Maggie an idea of when to get it ready for..."

"I'll probably leave here just before twelve... so maybe half past... Is that okay?"

"I should think so, dad. We'll see you in a couple of hours then..." Lauren said. She put her mobile away again and then looked at Joey.

"Why don't I go and get us both a drink, tell mum when your dad will get here and while I'm downstairs you can take off your clothes and I'll put some of your lotion on for you..." he said.

"Okay…" she said. Joey stepped closer to her and kissed her softly, his thumb brushing the side of her face gently. He then turned and walked out of the room. Lauren spent the next few minutes carefully removing her clothes, each move send a burst of pain through her body. She'd thought she was through the worst of the pain but in many ways the tightness of her skin now as it healed more hurt her more than when she'd been in hospital.

She was standing in the room in her knickers when the bedroom door opened, "Joey…" It was Alice and Lauren froze. Alice's voice faded to silence but Lauren heard her quick inhale and she knew that her cousin had seen the burns on her back and legs. She couldn't move. She was desperate to cover herself, self-conscious about her appearance and hating that Alice had seen the horrific scars on her body. She couldn't move even though it felt like her life depended on doing so. "I'm sorry…" Alice whispered and Lauren could imagine her turning and running out of the room, mentally trying to bleach the image of her scars from her memory. Once she was certain she was alone again Lauren turned and dashed over to the door, slamming it shut as hard as she could. She grabbed Joey's robe off the back of the door and flung it on, covering every imperfection on her skin, wrapping it around her body tightly. She leant heavily against the door, tears pooling in her eyes and breaking free as she slowly slid to the floor, her legs and back protesting every move she made… a constant reminder of the horror she'd been through and how horrific she looked. She curled up in a ball, sobbing brokenly as every moment of doubt she'd had since the fire solidified and weighed on her oppressively.

 **A/N: Oh dear… poor Lauren… and poor Alice too… Can Joey fix this mess, I wonder…? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One.**

Joey came back upstairs, frowning when he saw his sister standing outside his room, "Al...?" he said. She turned to look at him and he knew immediately something was wrong. She looked almost scared of him. "Tell me..."

"I didn't mean it, Joey... It was an accident..." she said quietly.

"What was?" he asked, his voice hardening and Alice took a step back, slightly scared of him suddenly.

"I went into your room... I wanted to know if you'd seen one of my CD's before you left..." She stopped speaking, glancing at his closed bedroom door.

"And..." he prodded, already suspecting what she was about to say.

"Lauren was in there..." Alice whispered. "She'd... I..." She stopped, pure misery on her face.

He didn't need further explanation, the look on her face and the fact his bedroom door had slammed shut while he was downstairs told him more than enough. "Go downstairs, Al..." he said, his voice softer than she expected it to be.

"I'm so sorry, Joey..." she whispered. She moved to walk past him but he grabbed her hand in his as she did so, stopping her. She looked at him, still slightly fearful.

"It's okay, Al..." he told her softly.

"Tell Lauren I'm sorry..." she whispered.

"I will." He said. He glanced at the door. "Can you call Uncle Max... tell him Lauren needs him..." he asked her.

"Of course, Joey." Alice said.

"We'll be down in a while, okay..." Joey said, squeezing her hand. Alice nodded and then she left him alone. Joey turned to face the door, stepping towards it, "Baby girl?" he said softly through the door. There was no sound from the other side. He turned the door handle in his hand but as he'd expected, it didn't open... which meant Lauren was leaning against the door. He knew he could force his way into the room but doing that would mean she could get hurt and that wasn't what he wanted. "Please let me in, babe..." he said to her softly. "Your dad should be on his way over in a minute... Alice is calling him." He added. The mention of Alice's name brought forth the sound of sobbing from his girlfriend and his heart broke for her, hating hearing the misery in her tears. "Please, babe..." he begged her, "We can shut the door again once I'm in there with you... we can shut the whole world out, so it's just you and me..." he begged her quietly. She started to cry harder and the sound she was making... each pitiful sob... was like a knife to his already tattered heart. "Lauren, babe... please let me in..." he breathed, his voice barely audible to her.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was still curled up by the door but she could hear the emotion in Joey's voice... his calm soothing voice reaching her through the despair she was feeling. She could hear him talking softly to her and each word gradually wore through the panic she was feeling. After an indeterminate length of time she took a deep breath and moved away from the door, reaching up for the door handle and opening the door ever so slightly. The door opened wider, allowing Joey to squeeze through it moments later and then he shut the door again and Lauren leant against it once more. She remained huddled up in the over-sized robe against the door, her eyes locked on the floor as he sat down beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him so her head was leaning against his chest. He didn't say anything, simply kissing the top of her head and holding her as she started to cry once more.

*JL*JL*

Lauren had finally stopped crying but she hadn't said anything and Joey wasn't pushing her to speak either. He could feel the tension in her body and the way she was trying to bury herself into his chest. He lifted his hand, pushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear so he could see her face. It was blotchy, tear-stained and she wouldn't look at him. "Baby girl... look at me..." he pleaded with her. She closed her eyes and he could see she took a deep breath, then she opened them again and lifted her head slightly, looking up at his face. "Talk to me..." he urged her.

"She saw them..." she whispered.

"I know, sweetheart..."

"She thinks they're ugly..." she said, her voice wobbling slightly.

"No, she doesn't..."

"She couldn't get out of here fast enough..." she told him.

"She was surprised, Lauren... she hadn't been expecting to see them... and she felt embarrassed because she walked in on you half-naked and surprised you too... She left quickly because she could tell you felt awkward... she felt awkward too… you were half naked…"

"I'm ugly..." she breathed, her voice breaking on the last word.

"You are no such thing..." he said, his hand caressing the side of her face tenderly. "Do you know what I see when I see your scars?" he asked her. She shook her head, several more tears falling from her eyes. "I see a girl who put two small babies lives above that of her own... who protected them and made sure they were safe from harm... regardless of the pain she was in. I see someone who's got more strength than anyone I know. Someone who's had to go through more than most people do in their lifetimes. I can't begin to imagine how much pain you must've been in... how much pain you're still in every day... and you rarely complain about it. I look at you and every time I do I fall in love with you all over again, babe…"

"Even with the scars…?"

"Even with the scars…" he whispered. "I loved you after the fire… when the scars were still gaping wounds… it's just on the surface, babe… there is more to you than what I can see… Your soul is beautiful, Lauren… and your appearance, your scars are only temporary… you heard the doctor, he's confident that they will mostly heal really well… just the one on your back will leave a small scar… Do you realise how much they're improved since the fire?" he asked her.

"No…" she admitted, "I try not to look at them…" she whispered.

"You really should, babe… They're healing really well… Yes, they still look a little red but they're so much better than they were…"

"It'll be ages before they're fully healed, Joe…" she said sadly.

"I'm not going anywhere… not without you anyway…" he reassured her.

Lauren looked up at him, surprise on her face, "Really?"

"Of course, babe… haven't you been listening to me for the last few months?" he said. He lowered his head and kissed her softly. "We should get that lotion on you and then go downstairs. Your dad is probably here by now…"

"Already?" she said.

"Al was going to call him… You needed him and I knew he'd want to be here… like me…" he said.

"I love you, Joe…" Lauren breathed.

"Well, that's bloody good job… because I ain't going nowhere!" he said with a chuckle.

 **A/N: How sweet was Joey when he was explaining everything to Lauren? Do you think she believes him? This chapter is one of my favourites of this story so I hope you liked it too. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two.**

Joey and Lauren walked down the stairs, Lauren lagging behind slightly. Joey turned back to her, "It's okay, babe…" he reassured her. Lauren froze on the stairs, seeing Alice lingering in the kitchen doorway. "Why don't I leave you to talk to my sister…?" he said softly, squeezing her hand. He walked to the kitchen, pausing by his sister, "Be gentle, yeah?" he said. Alice nodded and he disappeared into the kitchen, shutting the door.

Neither girl spoke for several seconds, Lauren staring at her cousin hesitantly. "It didn't scare me, Lauren… I'll admit it was a shock… I mean I didn't expect you to be half-naked…" Alice said, "Of course Joey and mum had told me you'd been burnt but I hadn't really thought about…" Her words faded as she struggled to find the right words.

"How ugly it would be?" Lauren supplied.

"NO!" Alice said quickly, "I just hadn't thought about how it would look and I wasn't expecting to see them when I walked in… It just took me by surprise." They fell silent again. "You're not ugly because of them, Lauren…" she said. Lauren didn't say anything because she didn't believe her for a second… despite what Joey had said upstairs. "Maybe you should speak to Tamwar…" Alice suggested.

"Tam?" Lauren said, frowning at her.

"He's got burns too… on his back…" Alice explained, "I'm sure he'd be able to help you with what you're going through…" she said.

"I'd forgotten…" Lauren said.

"And people will forget that it happened to you too, Lauren… And I'm sure they'll heal more… given time…"

Lauren sighed, "So everyone keeps saying…" she said.

"It won't happen overnight, Lauren but I'm sure it will happen." Alice said.

"That's what they keep saying too…" Lauren muttered.

*JL*JL*

Lauren opened the kitchen door, Joey and her dad turning their heads to look at her. "Hi dad…" Lauren said. He stood and walked over to her, hugging her gently.

"You okay, kid?" he asked her softly.

"I will be… eventually…" she murmured into his shirt.

He pulled away from her and kissed her on the forehead softly. "Come and sit down, babe… Maggie has made us loads of lunch…" he said, ushering her towards the table and encouraging her to sit at the table next to Joey.

Joey reached for her hand once she was sitting down and squeezed it gently, glancing at her face, concern on his as he looked at her. "I'm okay…" she whispered. "I'm going to be okay…" she said, smiling at him.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was quiet as Max drove them back to Walford and Joey was watching her carefully. She'd been quiet all through the meal and Joey knew her dad was as worried about her as he was. He hadn't exactly been expecting her to be singing and dancing but she was unusually quiet. And it was bothering him.

Max helped him carry his stuff into the house, Lauren disappearing inside straight away. She was still hiding herself away from everyone. Joey knew she'd barely left the house since her return to the square. It was another thing to worry him. And he knew he needed to confront her about it soon. He just didn't want to create any more drama.

Max told him to just pile his things up in the lounge for the time being. He could sort them out later. Joey stared at everything he'd bought with him, not realising before that he had that much stuff. His uncle walked over to him, staring at the same pile. "Go and speak to her, Joey…" he said softly.

"Huh?"

"You're as worried about her as I am… I know you are… so go and check she's okay… She's more likely to speak to you than she will to me…" Max said.

"I'll sort out this stuff later."

"Whenever… concentrate on Lauren… she's more important."

"Thanks Uncle Max… for everything…"

"It's me that should be thanking you… for looking after my daughter."

"No one else I want to look after… I love her."

"Me too." Max said. The two men stared at each other, an understanding growing between them. Joey turned and walked out the room, quickly disappearing upstairs.

He paused once he was outside her room, taking a couple of breaths to compose himself. He listened carefully but couldn't hear anything inside. He knocked on the door softly, hearing her quietly beckon him in. He pushed open the door and peered around it, seeing her sitting on the bed, the sketchpad on her lap, pencil in her hand. "You drawing?" he asked.

"Trying…" she said.

Joey walked into the room, sitting on the other end of the bed from her. She moved the pencil over the paper, deep in thought. "Did you clear the air with Al?" he asked her softly. She stopped drawing but didn't look up. She nodded her head, her hand moving across the paper once more. "You've been very quiet… I worry…"

"I'm fine, Joe… you don't need to worry about me so much…"

"I worry because I care, babe…" he said. "So are you really fine… or are you just trying to placate me?" he asked her.

Lauren shrugged, "Alice said something… it got me thinking…"

"I'll kill her…" Joey muttered.

"Don't, Joe… it wasn't anything bad…" Lauren told him. "You probably don't know… before you came to Walford there was another fire on the square… the B&B… Tamwar ran inside to rescue his wife from the building… he got burned in the fire… badly, I think. Alice suggested I speak to him… she thought it might help."

"What do you think?" he asked, "Is that something you'd be interested in doing?"

"I guess... I'm just not sure I'm ready to speak to people about everything..." she whispered, glancing up at him.

"You should think about it, babe..." he said. She yawned, her face colouring as she covered her mouth. "Why don't you get some rest?" he said. She nodded and he helped her lie down on the bed. He got up to leave.

"Don't go..." she whispered, reaching for his hand. "Not till I'm asleep..." she added quietly.

He sat back on the edge of the bed, his fingers pushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She closed her eyes as he continued to brush his fingers through her hair, waiting until he saw her relax as she finally fell asleep. He sat next to her for a few minutes more before quietly getting to his feet and leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

*JL*JL*

Max was in the kitchen making a drink as Joey walked in. "She's getting some sleep..." Joey said when he saw his uncle looking at him.

"You want a coffee?" Max asked.

"Please." Joey sat at the table.

"What's on your mind?" Max asked, realising his nephew was miles away from where he was sitting.

"Lauren... she was telling me about something Alice had said... about Tamwar being able to relate to what Lauren was going through..."

Max thought about what Joey had said, "You're right, he probably would... I'd forgotten about that... Is she going to talk to him?" Max asked.

"She's not sure she's ready to speak to anyone." Joey said.

"She can't hide herself away from everyone and everything forever." Max reasoned.

"I know that...and I'm pretty sure she does too… deep inside… but I'm picking my battles," Joey said, "There are only so many things I can fight her on... I need her to believe that I'm working with her, not against her. That is a battle I'm never going to win at the moment... We'll get there... just not right now." Joey explained.

"So what are you going to do?" Max asked.

"I was thinking I could go and speak to him... sound him out. See if there's anything we should be doing to help Lauren... What do you think?"

"I think there's no harm in asking." Max said. Joey started to move, "Finish your coffee, Joey." Max said. Joey sat back down, drinking from his cup, still deep in thought. "Talk to me, Joey." Max said.

"It's nothing…" he said softly.

"Look, Joey… I know this isn't what you usually do… you're a private person and the thought of opening up to me is probably the last thing you'd want to do… but you don't have anyone else… You're looking after my daughter… but you can't bottle things up, Joey… that won't help her any more than her bottling up her feelings will… so if you need to vent, vent to me…"

"I'm worried I'm not helping her." Joey eventually whispered.

"Of course you are!" Max reassured him quickly. "Do you think I could've got her to stop screaming last night?" he said, "Did you think I didn't try before I called you because I did… I tried for a good five minutes before I picked up the phone and called you. And it didn't work… nothing I do works… You feel useless… well, welcome to my world because I've felt useless for at least the last five months." He admitted to his stunned nephew. "You're the only person who can get through to her, Joey… and there's a part of me that hates that… that hates that she won't turn to me… that she won't let me help her… that she doesn't need me to be there for her… There was a time… when she was much younger... but I was the person she would speak to… I thought things would always be like that… then she got a bit older and I started to let her down. I've let her down so many times, it's not funny… I've been an awful father to her but I'm trying the best I can to make that up to her now… and for her… for now, that means making sure you're okay."

"Sometimes it feels like I'm just making things harder for her… and it hurts when she pushes me away…"

"I know… I'm aware of how that feels…" Max said.

Joey glanced up at him, seeing the understanding on his uncle's face. "I just want to help her get better… to be there for her… be strong for her…"

"I know, Joey… but a lot of this depends on her too. She needs to help herself get better… she needs to be strong enough to get through this herself. Yes, okay she needs to be able to use us both for additional strength… but part of the battle is getting her to want to get better…"

"I guess." Joey whispered, somehow feeling even more despondent than he had done before. "I'd better go and see if I can find Tam." He said, putting down his mug. He got up and walked to the door, "Thanks for the talk Uncle Max." he said. He grabbed his jacket as he walked to the front door, leaving the house and heading down to the pavement. He thought more about what his uncle had just said to him, knowing that Lauren was very far from being ready to help herself and he wasn't sure she was mentally strong enough either.

 **A/N: Joey is pretty worried about Lauren… rightly, I think… And Max is worried about both of them… also probably right… Do you think Joey is going to get the help he needs from Tamwar? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for the lack of chapter yesterday... I forgot I was going to see the new James Bond movie yesterday and I didn't get home until late. The film is brilliant by the way...**

 **Chapter Twenty Three.**

As luck would have it Joey ran into Tamwar as he was coming out of the market inspector's office, "Hi, Tam... do you have a few minutes for a chat?" Joey asked.

Tam, probably deservedly, looked a little stunned by the request and his eyebrows rose, "With me?" he asked carefully.

Joey nodded, "Alice said you might be able to help me..." Joey said.

"Um..." Tamwar glanced round the market, seeing there were no disasters needing his attention and he sighed, "Sure, I guess..."

"How about the Vic... I know you don't drink but..." Joey stopped speaking, feeling a little awkward.

"The Vic is fine." Tam said. He trailed behind Joey, wondering what on earth the two of them could possibly have in common that would make Alice think he could help her brother.

"Grab a table... What would you like to drink?" Joey asked once they were in the pub.

"An orange juice is fine..." Tam said. He realise he'd used the word fine twice in as many minutes as he headed towards a table. He smiled slightly as he saw his girlfriend behind the bar and she grinned back at him as he sat at the table. Things between him and Nancy Carter were good... better than he could've ever hoped for. They'd recently taken their relationship further which had been something he'd never expected to happen if he was being honest. Still at times he was surprised by how accepting she'd been.

Joey startled him from his introspection as he appeared at the table and saw down opposite the market inspector, placing a glass of orange juice on the table in front of him. "I didn't know if you wanted to order any food..." Joey said.

Clearly he wanted a pretty serious chat if he was buying drinks and lunch for him, Tamwar decided but he simply replied, "I'm fine..." he said, mentally kicking himself as he used the word for a third time, "I'm going back home for lunch..." he said, "but thanks..." he added awkwardly.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat, nursing his pint of beer for several minutes. He drank from the glass a couple of times, struggling to know where to begin.

"So...?" Tamwar said, when it was clear that Joey wasn't going to say anything.

Joey rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, clearly feeling as awkward as Tamwar was beginning to. "I understand you were in an accident a few years ago..." he spluttered out, taking a drink from his glass.

Tam's eyes widened, this hadn't been the conversation he was expecting. He'd assumed it was something to do with the market... maybe a request for a stall... not where it was apparent this talk was now heading. "Uh huh..." he said blandly, glancing around the bar and catching the eyes of his girlfriend briefly. He noticed her frown but turned back to Joey when he spoke again.

"I'm sure you heard about Lauren... and what happened..." Joey said, glancing at his companion but unable to read anything from his closed expression.

"Mmm," Tamwar said.

"Alice seemed to think you might be able to help me... to help her..." he said. Tamwar could see the desperation on his face and he could understand. He was very familiar with how he imagined Lauren was feeling. He wished he could help... he really did... "Well?" Joey said, urging him to say something.

"I don't know what you want me to say..." Tamwar replied, a brittleness edging into his voice as memories of those first months after the... accident... came back to him.

"I need you to help me." Joey said, his voice louder this time... probably a little too loud really.

"Excuse me..."

Her voice startled them both and they looked up, Joey unsure who the blonde was but recognising her from behind the bar. "What?" he asked, stunned by her interruption.

"Are you finished harassing Tam?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm not harassing him..." Joey said in shock.

"Yes, you were... I saw you from behind the bar... Leave him alone, he's done nothing to you..."

"I'm not saying he has..." Joey told her, getting more confused.

"Look, it's clear he's uncomfortable about whatever it is you're bothering him about... so leave him alone or I'll be forced to ask you to leave." She said, drawing more attention from the people around them.

"Nance..." Mick Carter said.

"I'm sorting it, dad." She called back to him over her shoulder, staring intently at Joey. She glanced at Tam, "Are you okay?" she asked him, the aggression gone from her voice. Tamwar nodded silently.

"I wasn't harassing him... I was simply asking for his help..." Joey said.

Nancy scoffed, "Why would you need his help?" she said dismissively, "I don't even know who you are... so how could he possibly help you..."

"This is Joey..." Tam told her, "Joey Branning..." he added.

"I ain't seen you around here before?" Nancy said, the aggressive tone creeping back into her voice.

"I haven't been here." Joey said shortly. "I've been at the hospital, ain't I?" he said.

"Sit down, Nancy..." Tamwar said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. She glanced over her shoulder, getting a nod from her dad before sitting next to Tamwar at the table. Joey watched as this Nancy and Tam had a quiet conversation with each other. He realised now that they were apparently involved.

He turned his attention to his pint once more, feeling like he was intruding on them as he sat opposite them. He wondered if there would ever come a time when he'd have that with Lauren... He couldn't even say there had ever been a time when they'd been as close as the couple before him now were… not in public anyway. The closest was probably when they'd gone on a double date with Fatboy and Poppy although no one had known they were together then so it wasn't even close to being the same. The problem was he wasn't sure they'd ever get to a place where they could be that way now everyone knew either. He sighed and drank the rest of his pint, putting the empty glass on the table and starting to get to his feet. This had been a mistake.

"Where are you going?" Nancy asked.

"This was a mistake..." he said, repeating his previous thought.

"Why?"

"You're right... what was I thinking?" he said, "No one can help her... not Max... not me... no one... she's not ready for anyone to help her... not even us... There's no way she's ready to talk to Tam about it..."

"She might never be ready, Joey..." Tamwar said, interrupting him mid-rant and they both watched as Joey literally deflated before them. "It's not something that's easy to talk about." Tamwar admitted, "I still find it difficult and it's been years..."

Joey sat back down heavily, any hope he'd had of a miracle solution disappearing with a few quiet words. "I just want to help her... There are times when I don't even recognise her..." he said, trapped in his own thoughts. Tamwar tensed, unnoticed by Joey. "She's not the same girl she was when I first met her... she's lost her spirit... she's lost any fight she had... Christ, she stood up to my dad many times, not letting him belittle her... She's not like that now... I don't care about the scars... I never have and I never will... what I care about is that she's not the same person I fell in love with... She's not Lauren... not anymore... It feels like I'm losing her all over again…" As he spoke the pub had gradually fallen silent, everyone taking in what he was saying, not many of them realising how badly Lauren Branning had been injured in the fire... or they'd forgotten about it... the incident from five months earlier already faded from their memories. "I just want to help her..." he said softly. Tamwar had relaxed as Joey spoke, hearing the confusion and helplessness... and love... in his words.

"I don't know if there is anything I can do to help her, Joey..." he said quietly. "If she wants to talk to me, then she's more than welcome to contact me but I don't know if I can really help... I don't have a magic cure for you... and I'm hardly one to preach about getting over it... How can I expect her to do that when I still haven't?" he explained. "I purposefully go out of my way to not deal with it..." he added.

"I can talk to Lauren... if you think it might help her..." Nancy said and Joey looked at her in surprise.

"You?" he asked.

"Yeah..." Nancy glanced at Tamwar, "I know I don't have the same experiences that her and Tam do... but I can talk to her about how I felt when I found out about Tam's scars..." She shrugged, "I don't know... it might not help... but I'd be willing to give it a try..." She leaned against Tamwar, looking down at her lap self-consciously.

"I might take you up on that..." Joey said, "I'd need to speak to Lauren about it first..." he said. "It might not be for a few weeks..."

"Sure... whenever..." Nancy said, "You know where I am... and I'm sorry... about earlier..."

Joey grinned at her, two perfect dimples forming on his cheeks, "It actually took me back a little... reminded me of Lauren when I first met her..." he said, smirking at them both. He looked at Tamwar, "You've got yourself a bit of a firecracker there, mate..." he added. Tamwar smiled, squeezing Nancy's hand.

"How is Lauren anyway?" Tam asked.

Joey glanced at his empty glass, wishing he hadn't downed his pint so quickly. "Dad..." Nancy called out and within a minute another pint and a drink for Nancy appeared at the table.

Joey reached for his wallet but it was waved off by Mick Carter, "On the 'ouse..." he said.

"Thanks." Joey said. He took a sip from his glass, turning back to Nancy and Tamwar, "She's up and down... mainly down, I guess... It's been tough... you know... You know what she was like... fiercely independent... not taking any crap from anyone... Now... it's like some of the light has gone out inside her... Even moving around the house takes a lot out of her... she gets easily tired... She's in a lot of pain... in some ways more than she was after it first happened because then she was on really strong drugs to counteract it... She has nightmares most nights... waking up screaming... I know she doesn't think that things are ever going to get better... she thinks she's hideous and doesn't understand how I could possibly love her." Joey didn't miss the way Nancy looked at Tamwar as he referred to his love for Lauren for a second time. She didn't say anything about it though so he didn't either. It wasn't that he was ashamed of his relationship with his cousin, far from it as he considered it pretty much the best thing in his life, but now wasn't the time to talk about it. He was sure Nancy would ask her boyfriend later anyway.

"I can sympathise with the way she's feeling, Joey, I really can..." Tamwar admitted.

"Please try and get her to talk with me, Joey." Nancy said, "I know I can help her."

"I will." He said, feeling more hopeful now than he had a few minutes earlier. He glanced at his watch, "I'd better get back to the house..." he said. "She's probably awake by now." He drank the rest of his drink quickly, "Thanks for the chat..." he told them both, "and I'm sorry I brought up painful memories, Tam... that wasn't my intention... I guess I should've thought about it..."

"It's fine, Joey... you weren't to know..."

Joey left the pub a minute or two later, hearing the buzz get louder as he walked out of the doors. No doubt he'd given the locals something to gossip about... but he really didn't give a fuck what anyone thought, other than Lauren. She was the most important thing to him and always would be.

 **A/N: So Joey has spoken to Tamwar about what happened to him… wanting to know if there is anything he can do to help Lauren. And he opened up, in front of pretty much everyone in the square about his feelings for the girl he loves. What did you think about Nancy standing up for Tam? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four.**

Joey grabbed a few of his bags once he was back at the house and carried them up to his room, not that he'd be sleeping in there very much but it was somewhere where he could store his things without encroaching on Lauren's space. Once he'd unpacked his clothes and put them away he went back out onto the landing, knocking softly on Lauren's door. There wasn't any answer and when he started to get concerned he gently pushed open the door, finding the room empty. He was sure his uncle would've said something if Lauren had been downstairs so that only left one place for her to be. He stood outside the bathroom door, hesitant about interrupting her but also worried about her. He knocked on the door gently, "Babe?" he said through it. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine..." she said after a slight hesitation. There was a longer pause before she spoke again, "You can come in..." she said. He pushed open the door, surprised to find her sitting in a bubble bath. The bubbles piled high enough that they hid pretty much everything, including her burns from view.

He walked into the room, shutting the door firmly behind him, "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I was sore when I woke up so I thought a bath might help..." she said, resting her chin on her hands as they covered her knees, looking up at him.

"And is it?" he asked, moving closer to her. She tensed slightly but he continued, walking over to the bath and sitting on the floor beside it.

"A little, I guess..."

"I can put some more lotion on them when you get out..." he said gently and she nodded her head.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"I heard you come back into the house... I wondered where you'd been..."

Joey lowered his head, "I went to speak to Tam..." he told her.

"Joey!" she gasped. He looked up at her, seeing tears welling in her eyes and he felt even worse.

"I just wanted to try and help you, babe..." he edged forward so he was closer to the side of the bath, leaning his forearms on the edge of it. "I feel so helpless, Lauren... Like I can't do anything right and I thought if I spoke to Tam about it he might be able to suggest something..."

"And did he?"

Joey's face reddened, "No, not really... he did say he'd be willing to talk to you if you ever wanted to. I met his girlfriend too... she nearly threw me out of the pub for harassing Tam..." he said, rolling his eyes but smiling when he heard Lauren giggle. "She'd like to come over and talk to you... when you're up to it as well..."

"Why would she want to do that?"

"Maybe because she likes you, babe?" Joey told her, "and she said she thought she could tell you what it was like from her perspective the first time she saw Tam's scars..."

Lauren's mouth dropped open, "She's seen his scars?"

Joey shrugged, "Apparently..." he said, "So is that something you'd be interested in...?" he asked.

"Maybe... not yet though..." she said. She turned her head slightly, staring blindly ahead of her.

"Babe, you can't keep yourself holed up in this house forever…" he said.

"I know… but I don't want people staring at me… seeing how ugly I am…" she breathed.

"So use Nancy as a barometer… see how she reacts if she came over… or if you don't want her, ask Whitney to come over… you trust her, right?"

"Yeah… I don't know, Joe…"

"Babe, you ain't ugly… I don't know how many times I have to tell you… clearly you don't believe me when I say it so I'm going to stop trying to convince you… You obviously need to hear it from someone else… someone you trust…"

"I trust you, Joe… I just can't understand how you can mean it…"

"Will anything convince you?" he asked her softly.

She shrugged, wincing slightly. "I don't know…" she breathed.

"Doesn't the way I react around you help you believe?" he asked softly.

"How do you mean?"

"Everyone else can see how much I love you, babe…" he stated, "I want to look after you… to protect you and keep you safe… You sleep in my arms and even in my sleep, my body is aware of you… I wake up hard every morning… Does that sound like someone who thinks you're ugly… who doesn't get turned on by you… who doesn't think you're as beautiful now as you were the day I met you?"

Lauren stared at him and he wondered briefly if this would be the time he would convince her and then she spoke, "I want to believe you… I really do…" His heart sank and he lowered his head onto his wrists. Any hope the last couple of hours had given him faded into oblivion and his emotions got the better of him, his shoulders starting to shake as he gave up. He heard a swish of water and then her fingers were brushing through his hair and he felt her kiss the top of his head. Somehow that made him feel worse.

"I'm sorry, Joe…" she whispered sometime later. "I'm trying my best…"

"I know, babe… I know…" he breathed.

 **A/N: Well, I think Joey has just reached his lowest point… He's trying so hard to convince Lauren that he's telling the truth… and seemingly failing at every turn… Poor boy… Can he take much more…? And will this be enough to get through to Lauren? Send me a review and let me know what you think. I'm feeling generous... so if I get enough reviews, I'll post another chapter tonight...**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five.**

Joey helped Lauren climb out of the bath, wrapping the towel carefully around her. He patted her tender skin dry gently, being careful not to jar her sore skin. He led her back into her room and she slipped on some knickers while he grabbed the lotion for her skin. He spent quite a while dabbing it caringly onto her back and legs, silence ebbing between them. Neither of them had anything to say and so an atmosphere built within the room.

Joey sat on the floor, watching her as she dressed in comfortable clothes. She grabbed her hairbrush and started to pull it through her hair, wincing when it encountered a knot. She glanced at Joey, seeing the way he was watching her. "I think I'd like to be on my own to think about things for a little while..." she said, "Is that okay?" she asked.

"Of course it is..." he said, his heart breaking once more as she pushed him away.

"Thanks Joe." She said, smiling at him sadly.

He got to his feet, all the while wishing she would change her mind, but she didn't. He walked slowly to the door, pausing briefly, "I'll be downstairs then... if you need me..." he told her. He left the room quickly, not waiting to see if she'd say anything, already knowing she wouldn't. He was tempted to walk out of the house but he'd told her he'd be downstairs and, despite the pain she was causing him, he didn't want her to start doubting what he said to her further by leaving the house. He walked through the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge and opening it. He sat at the table, taking swigs from it. He'd put his mobile phone on the table in front of him, turning it over and over in his hand as he thought things through. When he was about a third of the way through the bottle he lifted his mobile and dialled a number.

It was answered after a couple of rings, "Joey?"

 **A/N: Poor Joey… he's feeling pretty bad right now… but who exactly is it on the phone? Short chapter… but you know me… like to have a good cliffhanger every now and again. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six.**

"Hi mum..." Joey said quietly.

"Is everything okay?" Maggie asked, clearly concerned. He said nothing, resting his head on his hand, elbows on knees as he leant forward. "Joey, you're worrying me now... I can't help you if you don't talk to me..." she said.

"Am I making a mistake?" he eventually whispered.

"About what?"

"Being here... being with Lauren again...?"

"Why do you think it's a mistake?"

"She keeps pushing me away, mum... and every time she does it's hurt a little bit more than the time before..."

"She's been through a lot, Joey... and it's not just her physical injuries she needs to deal with, is it?"

"I know, mum..." Joey said, sighing. "I just worry that my being here isn't helping her... that she doesn't really want me here..." his voice cracked with emotion. Maggie paused before she answered him.

"If you really feel that way then you should come home." Maggie said, surprising him slightly. Joey said nothing. "Do you love her, Joey?" she asked, already knowing his answer.

"More than anything..." he whispered, "So much it hurts." He added.

"Do you think you'll worry about her any less if you were here?" she asked.

"No."

"So if you came back here, all you're going to do is worry about her, aren't you?" she reasoned.

"Yes..."

"Then it's not a mistake for you to be there... I know it's difficult at the moment, darling but she'll get there... Look what happened this morning, you got through to her, didn't you, eh?"

"I thought so... every time we have a breakthrough, she backtracks a couple of hours later..."

"You need to give her time, darling..."

"I know... but I'm just wondering how much time it's going to take... I guess that sounds selfish... like I'm making light of what she's going through... but we don't seem to be making any progression... I feel like in many ways we're in exactly the same position we were when she first woke up..."

"It will get better, Joey... Maybe she should go and see her counsellor, speak to them about how she's feeling... if she won't talk to anyone else..."

"Maybe..." Joey said, already knowing what Lauren would say to that idea.

"I'm always here for you, Joey... if you need me... You can call me if you ever need to, okay?"

"I will, mum... thanks..." he said, "I love you..." he added softly.

"I love you too, darling..." she replied and Joey could hear the smile in her voice.

 **A/N: Joey is really struggling at the moment… second guessing everything he's done and doing for Lauren… Let's hope he's strong enough to get through this… and to help Lauren get through it as well. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven.**

Lauren made her way slowly down the stairs much later that day. She was sore again but she didn't want to have another bath. She was also aware that she needed to go downstairs and repair some of the damage she'd done earlier. She knew she'd hurt Joey when he'd been upstairs with her and she wondered how many more times she could do that without him leaving her… she was fairly certain she was on shaky ground and it wouldn't take much to push him away forever. She needed to try a bit harder… to make more of an effort… for him… and for herself.

Lauren walked into the lounge, seeing Joey and her dad watching TV. "Hi." She said. They both turned to look at her but it was only Joey she was looking at.

"You okay?" he asked her. She nodded her head. He stared at her before getting to his feet, walking towards her. He kissed her forehead softly, "Have a seat and I'll go and put dinner on."

"You cook?" she teased him.

"Mum told me what to do… and anyway, one of us needs to know how to, don't they…?" he teased her right back.

"I'll leave it to the expert then…" she said with a smile. He left the room and Lauren sat carefully on the sofa. She was aware of her dad watching her and counted slowly to see how long it would be before he said something. She'd only go as far as seventeen before he spoke.

"When are you planning on going back out into the world then, babe?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation casual but doing an abysmal job.

"I don't know, dad…" she admitted.

He didn't say anything in reply straightaway but eventually spoke again. "Can I ask why?"

"I don't want people to stare…" she said, her eyes locked on her hands as they lay clenched on her lap.

"Looking at you now, you can't even tell, babe…" he reassured her. "The burns on your face have gone… and they've pretty much gone on your hands too… It's just your back and your legs…" he said, not telling her anything she didn't already know.

"But some of them saw…" she whispered, glancing up at his face, "they saw me when I was brought out of the house… they'll remember…"

"Oh, babe…" Max said, muting the TV and moving so he was sitting on the sofa beside her. "Do you think that is what they're going to see when they look at you? What they're going to think about?" he asked. Lauren nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder as he hugged her gently into his side. "I'm pretty sure that's the last thing they're going to be thinking… It's not what I think when I see you… In fact, I try on a frequent basis to forget how you looked on that first day and the first couple of weeks…"

Lauren tensed against him, trying to pull away from him, "Dad…" she said, shock in her voice.

"Lauren, I don't mean like that…" he said quickly, realising how she'd taken his words. "It hurt to look at you when you were there… not because you're ugly… it hurt to see you in so much pain and know that I couldn't do anything to help you… We all felt like that… we felt useless… It was like a part of me had died… when I think how close to dying you came… It brought back memories of losing Bradley… knowing he'd be there to look after you if the worst happened was the only thing that got me through those days. Your mum was devastated, Lauren… her baby girl was hurting and she couldn't do anything to make it better… she couldn't put a plaster on it and kiss it better like she used to when you were small. Despite all the pain though… we were so proud of you… proud of you because you saved those little boys… they didn't have to go through the agony you were going through…"

"I couldn't let them get hurt, daddy…" she breathed. "Although I think I did hurt them a little… I was squeezing them in my arms so tightly…"

"That is preferable to the alternative… they were only kept in the hospital for a few hours, Kat said… Just to make sure there wasn't any problems with their breathing but they were both completely fine." He watched Lauren's face as he spoke, seeing his words sink in. "I think Kat would really appreciate seeing you… knowing that you're okay. Both her and Alfie were really worried about you."

"I don't know, dad." Lauren murmured, glancing towards the window. "I'm scared…"

"Of what, babe?" he asked.

"Going out there… of getting hurt again…" she closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek, "Of someone saying something to me… or staring at me…" she told him softly.

"If they're staring it's because of how beautiful you are…" He saw the disbelief on her face, "I mean it… the last time they saw you, you were covered in a silver foil blanket and your face was black and bloody… the difference in how you looked then and how you look now is amazing, babe…" He paused, letting her take that in. "How about this… what if I was to get Kat to come over here to see you… it means you don't have to go outside but you'll get to see someone other than me and Joey…" he bargained.

"I guess…" Lauren whispered, knowing she had to try.

"I'll call her now, babe." He said, grabbing his mobile and standing up. He turned back towards her, bending down and kissing the top of her head. "I'm proud of you, babe… for trying…" He walked out of the room, pausing when he saw Joey standing in the hallway, clearly having been listening to their conversation. Max went through to the kitchen, dialling Kat's mobile phone, having been given her number when Lauren was in hospital, so they could let them know Lauren's condition. "Hi, Kat, it's Max…" he said when she answered the call. "I've just been speaking to Lauren… and if you're free, I suggested you coming over tomorrow… spending some time with you… and the boys… well, I think it's just what Lauren needs at the moment…" he said.

"Are you sure, Max?" she asked.

"Yeah… Lauren may be quiet and a little withdrawn… she's still recovering and she gets tired easily but it'll do her good to see someone different…"

"I'd love that, Max… Why doesn't she give me a call when she's up and about and then we can arrange a time?" Kat said.

"That sounds great, Kat… but I know Lauren… She won't call you… she's quite happy to hide herself away from everyone forever." Max admitted, "She's paranoid about people thinking she's ugly… or staring at her." He told her. "I'd rather we agreed a time now and then you'll definitely come over to see her…"

"If she doesn't want to see anyone, Max…" Kat started but he interrupted her.

"It's not that so much, Kat…" he said, "It's just if it's down to her to arrange it, she won't… she'll procrastinate and overthink it… It's got to the stage where I need to force her hand slightly… make her do it… because at the rate she's going she's going to be a recluse…"

"How about eleven o'clock?" Kat suggested.

"Eleven sounds fine." He said. "I'll tell her to expect you then… thanks Kat."

"Thank you, Max… It'll be great to see her…" Kat said, "There's a lot I need to say to her…" she added softly and Max could hear the guilt in her voice.

"If you could let me know how it goes…?" Max asked, "How Lauren is when you're here…" he added.

"Of course." Kat said, "Bye then…"

"Bye." Max said.

*JL*JL*

Joey carried their plates into the dining room later that evening. Max was behind him, carrying in the third plate. The threesome sat down to eat together, both men watching as Lauren slowly ate her food. It was the first meal that she seemed eager to eat though so after a few minutes they both relaxed.

Max had told Lauren about her visit from Kat and the boys when he'd walked back into the lounge earlier and Joey was pleased to see the hesitant agreement on her face, tempered slightly by the trepidation she was feeling. Max had gone out to the shop to get something from the MinuteMart shortly after and while he was gone Joey had asked Lauren if she wanted him to be there when Kat came over but she'd said it was something she needed to do on her own. Although she'd said no, Joey didn't mind and was glad she wanted to do it on her own… her first step to independence again. He was proud of her, although he knew that Max had forced the issue somewhat.

*JL*JL*

The couple went to bed at near to normal time, although Lauren had been dozing on Joey for almost an hour before they finally went upstairs. Once they were lying in bed Joey held Lauren in his arms and he lowered his head and kissed her softly. "I love you…" he whispered into the darkness.

"Love you too, Joe…" she breathed. "Can I touch you…" she hesitantly asked him.

He didn't even have to think about it, "Of course you can…" he said.

Her hand moved quickly, Joey getting the impression that she thought he would change his mind if she took too long. She slid her hand into his jogging bottoms, settling onto his length and squeezing him gently. He moaned. It had been a long time since someone other than himself had touched him this way. It had been even longer since that hand had been Lauren's. His cock started to harden, an automatic response to her touch. He leant forward and pressed his mouth against hers, kissing her hard when her fingers delved inside his boxers and wrapped around his length. She started slow now, stroking him gently as he continued to kiss her. She opened her mouth, his tongue sliding inside and swirling around hers. She gripped him tighter and he moaned into her mouth, his erection now full and heavy. Joey knew it wouldn't be long before he came, abstinence reducing the length of time it took him to orgasm. He shifted his hips, pulling his mouth from hers as he started breathing heavily. She was as expert as she had been when they were together and before he knew it his cock was throbbing in her hand, spurting come over her hand and his boxers as he moaned loudly. Lauren continued to rub his length, easing every last drop from him that she could. Once he'd stopped she lifted her head, brushing her lips against his ear, "Was that okay?"

"Babe that was fucking amazing…" he panted, still trying to catch his breath from the intensity of what she'd just done. He turned his head and captured her mouth with his, kissing her deeply. "Thank you, babe… you're the best…" he murmured against her lips.

"Got to look after my man, haven't I?" she told him, pulling her hand free and grabbing a tissue. She lay back beside him, resting her head on his chest. "I'm so tired." She murmured.

"Then sleep, babe…" Joey said, kissing her forehead, "I'll keep you safe." He promised her.

 **A/N: Kat and the boys are going to see Lauren the next day… I wonder how that will go… Did you like the talk between Max and Lauren? And I think the last bit was Lauren's apology to Joey for the way she treated him… I think he appreciated it. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight.**

Lauren sat nervously on the sofa, chewing the side of her thumbnail pensively. She was ready and waiting for Kat to come over and she was so incredibly anxious about their arrival. She looked at the time… not for the first, second or even third time since she'd come downstairs. She was at home on her own and she suddenly wished she'd taken Joey up on his offer to be there with her. Was it too late for her to change her mind and call him?

The doorbell rang and Lauren sighed, knowing she was indeed too late. She got to her feet slowly and made her way, equally as slowly, to answer the door. She took a deep breath before opening it, preparing herself for the next few hours. She peered round the door, looking at Kat but then turning her attention to over her shoulder, seeing if anyone had noticed Kat at her door and was staring.

"Hi Lauren…" Kat said hesitantly.

"Hi." Lauren whispered, turning back to Kat.

"Can I come in, darling?" Kat asked, seeing the outright fear on the girl's face. Lauren stepped back, opening the door as she hid behind it. Kat pushed the buggy through the door and she heard Lauren inhale sharply as she caught a glimpse of the twins. As soon as they were safe in the hallway Lauren pushed the front door shut again, leaning back against it heavily. Kat took her coat off, giving the young girl some time to compose herself. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Lauren was feeling right now. And she felt an enormous knot of guilt tighten in her stomach. She'd felt this way ever since they'd heard about the fire and found out that Lauren and the twins had been in it. It had been great to find out Bert and Ernie were okay and hadn't been hurt but to then learn about Lauren's horrific injuries… it was heart breaking and her guilt had been growing ever since… even more so when she discovered how Mo was responsible for it happening. She turned and hung her coat on a hook on the wall, looking at Lauren and seeing the haunted expression on her face as she stared at the pushchair. "Shall we go through to the lounge?" Kat asked.

"Sure…" Lauren whispered.

Kat smiled and pushed the twins into the lounge, hearing Lauren walking behind her. She sat on the sofa and then started to undo the cover of the buggy, pulling down the blanket that was covering both of the boys, only one of whom was now sleeping. "Hello Bert… did you have a nice nap?" she asked as she picked up the eldest of the twins. She held him in her arms and turned him so he could see Lauren… and she could see him. "Look who we've come to see…" she said softly. Lauren was staring at him, her eyes intently running over him. "They were both fine, Lauren…" Kat reassured her.

"Everyone said…" Lauren whispered, "There was a part of me that didn't believe them." She admitted. "I thought maybe they were just telling me that so I wouldn't get more upset."

"They wouldn't lie to you about that, darling…" Kat said.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've been lied to."

"Would you like to hold Bert while I get Ernie out?" Kat asked.

"I don't know…" Lauren murmured, biting her lip, clearly torn between wanting to and being too afraid to hold him.

"He won't bite…" Kat said, smiling at her, hoping to convince her.

"Okay…" Lauren breathed. Kat held Bert out towards her, placing him on her lap. She watched as Lauren put her arms around him, both of them ignoring how her hands were shaking. Lauren bit her lip hard, closing her eyes as a flash of a memory hit her hard. Her arms tightened around the baby in her arms and he protested, much like he had that night.

Kat looked at Lauren again once she'd picked up Ernie, seeing the haunted expression on her face again, "Lauren?" she asked softly. Kat noticed that she was breathing much faster now and she realised what was happening. Bert was crying and it just seemed to make Lauren even worse, her grip on him tightening perceptively. Kat placed Ernie back in the buggy and shifted closer to the young girl, putting her arm around her shoulders, frowning when she flinched from her touch. "Darling…" she said gently to her. "Let me take Bert off you…" she said softly. She tried to pry him from her hands but Lauren wasn't letting go so she gave up, instead trying to get Lauren to relax. "It's okay, darling…" she said softly, brushing some hair back from Lauren's face, her fingers wiping away some tears. After several minutes of talking to her quietly Lauren loosened her hold on Bert and Kat lifted him off her lap, putting him in the buggy.

Lauren looked at her as she turned back to face her, "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"What are you apologising for, Lauren?" Kat asked, "I should be thanking you… You most certainly have nothing to be sorry about…" she told her.

"I hurt Bert…" she breathed shakily.

"You kept him and Ernie alive… safe…" Kat stated, "Do you know how grateful I am to you?" she said. "When I think about what could've happened…"

"To Bert and Ernie?" Lauren breathed.

"Yes, that… but you as well… I'm so sorry about what happened, Lauren…" Kat said, tears flooding her own eyes. "To know that the explosion happened because of some dodgy hairspray Mo was storing… that because of her latest hare brained scheme, she could've caused you and the boys to die… Of course, Alfie and I were worried about the boys, but our worry didn't disappear once we were told they were okay… we were just as worried about you… more so when your mum and dad told us how bad your injuries were…"

"I didn't mean to worry you…" Lauren whispered guiltily.

"Oh darling… I know that." Kat said. She hugged Lauren gently, wary of hurting her further. "How are you now?" she asked after several minutes of silence.

"Okay, I guess…" she murmured.

"You don't sound so sure…" Kat said. Lauren shrugged. "Talk to me, Lauren…" she prodded.

"Don't I look different?" Lauren whispered.

"A little… you've lost weight… your hair looks a little different… but not in any other way." Kat said, frowning when she saw the disbelief on Lauren's face.

"You don't see the scars?" Lauren asked, staring at her hands as they lay clenched on her lap.

"No, darling… I can't see any…" Kat reassured her.

"I do." Lauren admitted, "When I look in a mirror, which I try not to do, it's all I see… I feel ugly…" She shut her eyes, screwing them shut as she fought back the tears. "I know they aren't there… not really but I see them… and it feels like they're still there." She buried her face in her hands, starting to cry intensely, "It's why I don't want to go outside… I know people will stare at me… will see how ugly I am…"

"Oh Lauren…" Kat whispered. She hugged Lauren, not sure how she could convince her that she was far from ugly. Lauren eventually stopped crying and the room fell silent, apart from the soft babble from the twins. "How are your back and legs?" she asked softly. "Your parents told us you were burnt pretty badly there…"

"I had skin grafts." Lauren whispered. "For the worst of the burns… the doctor says they're healing well…"

"And what do you think?" Kat asked.

"I don't know… I looked at my back for the first time the other day… It was really upsetting to see them... although Joey says they look so much better now than they did… I can't bring myself to look at my legs… I know they were the worst out of all of them… I don't want to see how bad they are… I don't want seeing them to make me feel even worse than I do now…"

*JL*JL*

Sometime later, after Lauren had managed to calm down a little more, Kat picked up Bert again and passed him to Lauren, seeing that she wasn't as stressed this time. Lauren stared down at his little face and she lifted her hand, brushing her fingertip down his chubby little cheek. "I was so scared they were going to get hurt…" she whispered as Kat picked up Ernie. "I didn't want them to get hurt and I was worried about how we would get out… I considered jumping out of the window but I knew I couldn't do it without risking them getting hurt…" she admitted.

"You would've got hurt too, Lauren…" Kat said.

"I know." Lauren said softly, "I didn't care about me though… I just wanted to keep them safe… What happened to me didn't come into it…" she said, lowering her head and kissing Bert softly on the forehead.

"Alfie and I are so grateful for what you did, Lauren… Keeping our little boys safe… Nothing we could do can ever repay you for that…" she told her.

"Seeing them both healthy and unharmed is more than enough, Kat." Lauren said, looking at Ernie and reaching over, tapping the tip of his tiny nose with a finger, bringing forth a giggle from the tot.

"Then you should come over and see them whenever you want…" Kat said, watching Lauren's face.

"I can't do that, Kat… you know that…"

Kat took a deep breath, "I don't know exactly what it's like, Lauren… but I've felt the same way you do." She told her.

"You have?"

"Of course… do you think it was easy for me after it was revealed about my affair with Derek… the whole square knew… and I had to see how much I'd hurt Alfie every day. I felt so ashamed of what I'd done and then Derek died and it seemed like karma somehow… like whoever it is up there doesn't want me to have any happiness." She added. "It was really bad then… I had to go through it all on my own… and I had Alice and Joey to think about… to look out for." She sighed, "I did such an amazing job of that, didn't I?" she said. "Look what happened to Alice… I'm sure Derek is turning in his grave…"

"Probably… Definitely now that Joe and I are back together…" Lauren said, smirking slightly.

"I'm glad you're back together, Lauren… I always thought you made Joey into a lovely boy… You'd better not let him know I said that…" she added quickly.

"I guess he probably wouldn't appreciate it." Lauren giggled.

"I mean it though, sweetheart… I always thought the two of you were really good together… yes, you had your fair share of problems… Derek being one of them… but Joey gave you some stability and being with you made him softer… he showed his softer side with you."

"I couldn't have got through the last few months without him…" Lauren said. "He was the strength I needed… the strength I still need…" she added.

"He's come back to Walford so that must tell you how much he loves you…" Kat said. Lauren nodded absently but Kat could see some doubt on her face, "Why don't you believe me?" she asked.

"Why would he love me…?" Lauren whispered. "I'm not good enough for him… I'm already so different to the person I was when we first got together… I'm Lauren the alcoholic… the girl he can't take out and have a good time with anymore… the girl that one sip of alcohol could kill… and now he's got to deal with this…" she said, waving her hand around to indicate her body.

"You know Joey as well as I do… more so in fact." Kat said, "He wouldn't've come back here if he didn't want to… and he wouldn't be with you if he didn't want to be… He wasn't with you before he left even though he wanted to be…"

"He did?" Lauren said.

"More than anything… we spoke, you know… after Alice was arrested… he needed someone to talk to so we talked… He nearly didn't leave… even after the court case and Alice was released… He didn't want to leave you here… He wanted the two of you to try again but thought you'd say no… I told him he'd never know if he didn't ask… and he'd live the rest of his life wondering what you would've said…"

"I did say no… I didn't want to… but I was still with Jake and I thought we were good together… I missed him the whole time after he left though… We would still speak to each other but there was an edge to the conversations… like we were avoiding talking about what we really wanted to discuss… We still haven't really spoken about it… we don't talk about much really."

"Why not?" Kat prodded.

"I've told him a bit about what happened… but I don't want him to know everything… I can't tell him because I know it will hurt him." She admitted.

"Aren't you hurting him by keeping him at arm's length?" Kat asked.

"I know." Lauren said, "I feel bad… It's partly because I don't know how to tell him… I can't put it into words…" She sighed, "I'm not sure it's going to work… it was difficult when we were together last time but in some ways it's even harder this time… despite the fact that a lot of the issues we had are gone, they've been replaced by something even more complicated…"

"Do you think he wouldn't understand…?" Kat asked.

"How can he… he hasn't been through it, has he?" Lauren said.

"He has in many ways, darling… He was there right from the beginning, yes?" Kat said and Lauren nodded. "Then he's been through it more than you have in many ways… yes, okay he didn't have the physical injuries you did but he had to watch you suffer through them… he sat next to your bedside… Your parents told me how he wouldn't leave your side… Jack said that it's because of Joey that you still have your leg… Can you imagine what that would've been like for him…? Your dad told him the decision was down to him…"

"You saw Uncle Jack?" Lauren said.

"Yeah, he came to see Tommy while he was back in Walford… he needed some time away from the hospital… it was just after the doctor had told them the options open to them. Joey had made the decision and it nearly caused a huge row between your parents…"

"There's a surprise…"

"Jack said that he only hoped the test results came back with the results they wanted." Lauren looked at Kat blankly. "Didn't they tell you?" Kat asked.

"Tell me what?" Lauren said.

"Joey chose to wait for the test results to see if tissue in your leg was still dying… If it wasn't, there was a chance that you'd be okay and they'd be able to do the skin graft… which is what happened… but the alternative was that you'd have lost your leg… but it could've been too late… the infection you had might've killed you…" Kat told him, "Can you imagine having that responsibility on his shoulders…? So, yes, okay… he hasn't gone through it as much as you have… but it hasn't been easy for him either."

"I never realised…" Lauren said, frowning slightly. "Abs mentioned about Joey being the person who convinced my parents not to chop my leg off… I was still on pretty strong drugs though and it didn't really sink in just what that meant…"

"I think you should talk to him, darling…" Kat said, "Tell him everything… I'm sure you'll feel better about things then… and Joey will understand a little more about what you've been through as well…"

"I'll try." Lauren said, "Thanks Kat." She added.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." She said with a smile. Lauren yawned, her face flushing. "Why don't the three of us leave you in peace, eh?" she said. "You give us a call when you're up for another visit, okay?" Kat told her as she placed Ernie back in the buggy.

"I will." Lauren said, "And maybe I'll pluck up the courage to come to yours this time…"

"Bring that boy of yours with you… I can teach him the finer art of changing nappies while he's there…" Kat said with a smirk, "just in case he ever needs to know for the future…" she added lightly, watching Lauren's face as it darkened in colour. She reached for Bert, placing him back in the buggy beside his brother. "Get some rest, Lauren… and take care of yourself." She said, getting to her feet and heading out of the room. "Thank you, Lauren." She said softly before leaving her again.

 **A/N: I think that went better than Lauren was expecting it to… but it was still quite an emotional chapter for Lauren than she'd expected it to be. And she learned some new things about the time she was in hospital… I wonder what will happen next… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

Joey got home, wondering, like he did every day, how Lauren's day had been. He knew that Kat had been to see her, she'd popped into the car lot on the way home but hadn't said anything more than she'd talked to Lauren and Lauren had got a little upset but had been okay by the time she'd left. She'd left not long after she got there when Bert… or Ernie… started to scream. He opened the door, "I'm home, babe…" he called out. There wasn't any reply. He took off his jacket and hung it up, walking into the lounge, smiling when he saw Lauren lying on the sofa. She was fast asleep. He sat on the edge of the sofa, reaching forward and brushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He'd done this before… just after the car crash, but then had been a little different as he'd walked out of her life moments later… and he had no intention of doing that now. Or ever again if he had anything to do with it. He continued to stare at her face, his thumb softly stroking the curve of her cheek. He knew she wasn't sleeping well so he didn't want to wake her now.

He stood up carefully and walked up to their bedroom, pausing briefly in Oscar's room to dig out some clothes and to hang up his suit jacket. He removed the rest of his clothes and then walked through to the bathroom, stepping into the shower after a few minutes. The water was soothing and took away some of the strain of what had happened during the day and the last few weeks. His thoughts strayed to the night before… how Lauren had stroked him until he'd come. As usually happened when he thought of her, his cock began to harden again. He wrapped his fingers around himself but did nothing else… it just wasn't the same as it'd been when it was her touching him. He leant forward, his forearm leaning against the tile wall, his head on his arm as the water pounded his back.

Two arms wound around his waist, bringing him back to awareness after an imperceptible amount of time. They startled him and he turned his head, seeing Lauren standing behind him. For a second he thought she was naked but she was wearing a vest top and some leggings. "What are you doing?" he asked, even though it was clear to him what her intentions were. She moved his hand away from his now flaccid cock and replaced it with hers, his body reacting to her touch instantly. "Babe…" he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Let me look after you, Joe…" she said, kissing the back of his shoulder. She stroked him firmly, her other hand brushing over his stomach softly, affecting him almost as badly as her other hand was.

"Only if you let me look after you…" he replied, moaning as she twisted her hand on him. His words hung in the air and she stopped moving her hand. He wished he could backtrack, take everything back so she would continue what she was doing but at the same time it felt wrong for her to do this for him when he couldn't do the same for her in return.

"What do you want to do?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the cooling water.

"What I did the other night…" he told her, wanting to turn his head but not wanting to frighten her or cause her to pull away from him. "What do you think?" he whispered.

"I'd like that…" she murmured.

He turned his head and looked at her now though, "You're going to need to take some of those clothes off, baby girl…" he whispered and she froze again.

"I don't know, Joe…"

"Not everything…" he said, "But your leggings… and your knickers…" he breathed in her ear.

"I don't know, Joe…" she said again.

"How about this?" He said, "You take off all those… and then put on my T-shirt… it'll be huge on you… will cover more than the little top you've got on…" he whispered.

"I…"

"Will you try?" he whispered, interrupting her.

She bit her lip, staring up at him, "You can't look…" she breathed.

"I won't look." He promised her, kissing her softly, immensely saddened by her words nevertheless. "Will you try?" She nodded and moved away from him, backing out of the shower.

"Don't look…" she said so Joey turned his back to her, smiling despite his sadness as he heard her remove her soaked through clothes. The room was silent for some time and Joey adjusted the temperature of the water, making the water warmer for them both. He was pretty sure this was going to be over quickly but he didn't want them to freeze in the process. She made him jump again, her arms wrapping around his waist once more. "I'm back…" she breathed.

He turned to face her, staring at her face and not the rest of her body. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her. She nodded. "Say it, babe…" he said, just like he had the night before.

"I want this… I want you…" She said.

He stared into her eyes, seeing the sincerity behind her words. "Okay…" he breathed. He placed his hands on her hips, turning her under the water and pushing her back against the tiles gently. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't stop him. "Now, I believe you were doing something earlier…" he reminded her. She grinned, her hand moving and gripping his cock once more. She started to rub him, staring into his eyes, watching his reactions. He groaned and took a deep breath as she twisted her hand on him. "Feels so good…" he moaned. She stroked him slowly, almost torturing him. He moved his hand slowly, watching her face for any sign of rejection but she stared at him, biting her lip as his hand swept under the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing. "Babe, you were supposed to take these off…" he said when his fingers encountered her knickers.

"Sorry…" she murmured.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" he asked. Lauren nodded her head.

"Yes." She said.

"Do you want me to take these off… or do what I did the other night…?" he asked her softly.

She thought about his, her hand stilling on him momentarily. "The other night?" she breathed.

"Is that a question… or what you want?" he asked her.

"What I want…" she said. "Is that okay?"

"It's fine, babe… whatever you're comfortable with…" he told her. His hand moved higher, slipping inside her knickers, pausing briefly to make sure she hadn't changed her mind. Her hand started moving on him again so he took that as confirmation she was okay. He brushed his fingers over her clit softly and she gasped, her hand gripping him tighter.

"More…" she whimpered.

"As you wish…" he said, sliding his fingers further back and brushing them over her core. She moaned, her hand moving faster on his cock, drawing a matching moan from Joey as she twisted her hand. He pushed one finger inside her and she groaned, making him wonder if she was enjoying it or not. She smiled at him which reassured him so he moved it deeper, her welcoming body tightening around him. He eased in another finger and she closed her eyes, a look of pure bliss washing over her face as she rhythmically stroked his rigid cock. He timed the movement of his fingers with that of her hand, fastening and slowing with her, feeling his own peak ebbing to the surface and knowing hers was near too. He took a third finger and it joined the first two, Lauren's hips bucking against his hand as he touched her intimately. He was so focused on her, her other hand touching his balls took him by surprise, a good surprise but a surprise nonetheless. She fondled him expertly as her other hand worked on his cock. "God, babe… so good…" he breathed. He pulled his hand from her and then with both hands, pushed her knickers down her thighs, his fingers quickly buried deep in her core once more, his thumb dancing over her clit. She increased her speed and Joey could feel his peak rushing forward. He tried to hold back as long as he could but there was no denying it and soon he was grunting as she stroked him firmly through his orgasm, his thumb pressing hard on her clit and feeling her body grip his fingers. Their peaks faded and Joey after a couple more minutes reached for the shower and turned off the water, removing his hand from Lauren and pulling her into his arms, kissing the side of her head tenderly. "I love you, babe…"

"Love you too…" she whispered, her hands on his hips as she leaned her head on his chest, his heartbeat comforting her.

 **A/N: It seems that their relationship is returning to what it was their first time together… although I can't help thinking it's just an avoiding tactic for Lauren to talk to Joey… of course, I could be wrong… but I don't think I am. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty.**

"How did it go with Kat earlier?" Joey asked as they lay on the bed together later that evening. Lauren had been asked this several times since her dad had come home. Once by Joey as they'd sat at the table and twice by her dad. All of those times she'd evaded answering but this time he hoped she would answer.

"It was good…" she whispered. "Better than I thought it would be… it was good to see Bert and Ernie again…"

"I'm glad, babe…" he said. "I'd hoped seeing them all would do you some good…"

"We talked about some things…" she murmured, "Things I haven't told anyone else…" she admitted.

"You did?"

"She told me that I should tell you too…" she whispered.

"You don't have to, babe… not if you're not ready to…"

"She's right, you should know…" Lauren breathed. She looked up at him, "It might be difficult for me to say it though… and for you to hear…"

"Take your time, Lauren…" he said.

"Can you hold me in your arms?" she asked him softly.

"Always," he said, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "You never have to ask me twice to do that." He added quietly.

They lay in silence for several minutes until finally Lauren spoke, "I keep dreaming about that day…" she whispered.

"I'd guessed as much, babe…"

"It's like I'm back there…" she said, slightly distracted.

"You're safe now, Lauren…" he told her.

She tilted her head back to look at his face, "I know that now… but it's quite scary when I'm dreaming about it… I can feel the heat… taste the smoke in my mouth… smell the fire…" she whispered the last three words.

"Smell it?" he asked, feeling the tension in her body.

She stared into his eyes, seeing the knowledge of what she was going to say in his depths, "As it burnt me…" she whispered. "We were upstairs when the fire started… I was putting the boys in their cots so they could have a nap. I heard the sound of something breaking but I wasn't sure what it was… I went to the bedroom door, to the top of the stairs and when I peered over them I saw the flames… The hallway was already on fire and I knew there was no way I could get out of the front door. I went back into the bedroom and shut the door, blocking the bottom of the door with a blanket from their cots. I picked up the boys and we hid in the corner of the room. I was wracking my brain, trying to work out how we could get to out of the house." She told him, "The only option I really had was to jump out of the window…" Joey closed his eyes, an image of her doing that coming to mind, "I seriously thought about it… The only reason I didn't do it was because I thought the boys would get hurt… that was the last thing I wanted…"

"What about you?" Joey asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I didn't care about me… I was just thinking about Bert and Ernie…" She stared into his eyes, "I didn't care if I got out of the fire… but I had to keep them both safe…"

"You'd have given up your life?" he said, unable to hide the surprise in his voice from her.

"Better me than them." She murmured. "I'd lived twenty years… and what did I have to show for it? My family was falling apart… my best friend had died… I was with a man I didn't really love… and I'd let the one person I loved more than anyone else leave me… Bert and Ernie… they were just a few months old… they had their whole lives ahead of them… a whole wealth of possibilities… I had to keep them safe…"

"I'm not sure many people would've thought that way, Lauren…" he said, his hand lifting and cupping the side of her face, "I'm proud of you for thinking all that Lauren… for putting them first… but I don't think you realise how much of a hole you would've left if you'd…" His voice broke, "I can't even bring myself to say the word, Lauren…"

"I know that now, Joe… but I wasn't thinking about it at the time…" They fell silent again and Joey gave her a few minutes to compose herself. "The fire came into the room… it was after the explosion… the door blew open when that happened. I was holding the boys so tightly and it made them start to cry… I don't know if it was because I was hurting them or if they could sense my fear."

"You kept them safe…" he reminded her and she nodded.

"The closer the flames got…" her voice faltered and Joey kissed her forehead. "I was so frightened, Joe…" she breathed, "And then…" Tears began to fall from her eyes and Joey wiped them away, not saying anything, even though he wanted to. "My tights were the first thing to catch fire… I was frozen to the spot… I couldn't move… I was scared to move because if I did… well, the boys might have been caught…" Lauren winced and Joey realised he was holding her too tightly.

"I'm sorry." He breathed, loosening his hold slightly.

"It's okay, Joe… It doesn't hurt… not in comparison…" she said. Her words didn't really make Joey feel any better. "The pain… was excruciating… and the smell… turned my stomach… it was in the back of my throat and it actually gave me something to focus on other than the pain… That worked until the flames got to my back… I began screaming then… I didn't realise it was your name I was screaming but it makes sense… You had already been in my thoughts… you always were really." She looked at him, seeing his face had paled as she'd told him, "I was an idiot for not leaving with you, Joe… I knew it even as I watched you leave… I'm so sorry I did that…"

"It doesn't matter now, babe… I've got you back in my life…" he murmured, leaning forward and kissing her, "And I don't intend to ever let you go again."

"I'm really glad about that, Joe… because I'm not sure I want you to go either…"

Joey stared into her eyes, "Maybe it's time I told you some things too…" he whispered.

Lauren frowned, suddenly a little scared after his words. Was it now he told her he'd been lying all along? "What things?" she said hesitantly.

"When you were in the hospital… I found I had a lot of time on my hands…" he said. "I tried to imagine what had been going through your head when the fire started…" he told her, "It was all I wanted to know… and now…"

"Now you wish I hadn't told you…" she finished for him.

"A little… but I am glad you told me… We should be able to tell each other anything, babe… Now I know what it was like for you." He said, "And it wasn't pleasant hearing it… but I needed to know…"

"Kat told me what it was like for you at the hospital…"

"She did? What did she tell you?"

"How you wouldn't leave my bedside…"

"I only left when I was made to…" he said.

"Uncle Jack told her when he went over to see Tommy… He also told her that my parents said you had to decide what to do about my leg…"

"Your parents couldn't decide and they thought I would know better what you'd want…"

"They were right…" she breathed.

"I wasn't so confident at the time… I just did what I thought I could live with…" he admitted, "I didn't want to make that decision until I really had no choice about it…"

"I don't think I ever really thanked you…" she whispered.

"You did, babe… You came back to me…" he told her softly. "That was all the thanks I needed…"

 **A/N: Hallelujah, they've finally talked… I'm sure it's not everything… but it's a good start. Joey finally knows what Lauren went through in those few minutes in the fire… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One.**

If Joey and Max had thought that Kat's visit would've been the beginning of Lauren getting back out into the world again, they were sorely mistaken. Unfortunately Lauren still insisted on staying in the house day after day. She spent her days around the house doing housework when necessary, her physiotherapy every day and sleeping. Neither pushed her, hoping that she would eventually take that first step herself.

Joey was concerned about her but he knew better than to try and push her into something she wasn't ready for. He came home from work one evening and found her crying on the sofa and he knew he needed to do something. "Babe…?" he said, sitting next to her and taking her in his arms. Her crying intensified and he brushed his hand gently over her back, kissing the top of her head as he waited for her crying to ease. "Talk to me, Lauren…" he eventually whispered.

"I can't, Joe…" she breathed.

"I thought we agreed to tell each other everything?" he said.

She said nothing for a second, then lifted her head and looked into his eyes, "I think I should go and see my counsellor again…" she whispered.

It had been something Joey had been thinking about suggesting to her for a while but hadn't said anything for fear of her freaking out but now he found he was relieved she'd come to make that decision herself. "Why don't you give her a call and see if you can get an appointment?" he said.

"You aren't disappointed with me?" she whispered.

"Because you've asked for help? Why would I be disappointed in that?" he asked her.

Lauren shook her head, "Because I can't talk to you about it…?" she said softly.

"I just want whatever's the best thing for you, babe… and if it's talking to your counsellor, then that is what you should do…" he told her softly.

"You'd better pass me my phone then…" she said. He reached for the table and grabbed her mobile phone, passing it to her. She searched her contacts and then pressed the one she needed. Joey listened as she spoke to the clinic, booking an appointment. She ended the call and put the phone back down.

"When is your appointment?"

She glanced at the clock, "In an hour…" she said, glancing at Joey.

"Do you want me to take you there?" he asked.

"Please…" she whispered.

"Let me go and see if I can borrow your dad's car?" he said, kissing her on the temple. He got up from the sofa and made his way into the hallway. He picked up the phone and dialled the car lot. Max answered after a couple of rings. "Hi Uncle Max." Joey said.

"Is everything okay?"

"It will be… Is it okay to borrow your car?"

"Of course you can… where are you going?" he asked.

"Lauren's going to see her counsellor… She booked an appointment…"

Max said nothing, "That's a good thing, right?" he replied.

"Yeah, I think so…" Joey said. "I'll come and collect the keys in a few minutes then…"

"Don't worry, I'll bring them over… I'd like to see her before she goes…" Max said and Joey could hear him moving around the car lot.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was putting on her shoes and jacket when the front door opened and she looked up, seeing her dad standing in front of her. "Hey…" he said, glancing at Joey and throwing the car keys to him.

"I'll wait for you in the car, babe…" Joey said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Okay…" she said. Joey left the house and father and daughter remained standing in front of each other in the hallway.

"So you're going to see your counsellor?" Max said. Lauren nodded, looking down at the floor. "There's nothing wrong with asking for a little extra help, babe…" he said quietly. "Isn't that what they told you at rehab?" he added.

"I guess… but this isn't about my drinking, is it?" she whispered.

"No, babe… but it's something pretty major you've been through… and something you need help with…" He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug, "There's no shame in asking for help, Lauren, babe…" He told her in a whisper, "I'd rather you did that than struggle on your own…"

"I'd better go, dad… I don't want to be late…" she whispered.

"I'll see you later then, babe…" he said, tilting her chin up so she was looking at his face, "Still proud of you…" he told her softly, "Getting prouder by the minute, babe…"

Lauren smiled at him, "Thanks daddy."

*JL*JL*

Joey sat in the car outside the counsellor's office. Lauren had been inside for about forty minutes now. He was waiting patiently but he was also a little concerned about her. He wanted her to get better so badly and yet with every step forward, she seemed to take as many back. He pulled out his mobile phone and dialled a familiar number. "Hey Al," he said once it was answered.

"How are things, Joey? How's Lauren?" his sister asked.

"About the same as normal…" he said, "Is mum there?"

"She's at the shops… but she should be back soon…"

"I can call her back later…" Joey said, his eyes locked on the door of the building, only partially focusing on his conversation with his sister.

"Don't be silly, Joey… she's probably just minutes away from the house… So what have you been up to? It's been a while since we've heard from you…"

"Al, it's only just over a week since we came over to the house…"

"Well it feels like longer…" Alice stated.

"I've been helping out Uncle Max a little bit at the car lot… Lauren doesn't like it when we fuss around her so I try to give her some time to herself each day…"

"How is she?" Alice asked.

Joey sighed, "Maybe we should stick to questions I know the answer to, Al…" he muttered.

"No improvement then?"

"Sometimes…" he admitted, "and then something will happen and we're right back at square one."

"Oh… that must be difficult…"

"It's not easy…" he breathed. His hand rubbed at the back of his neck as he spoke, thinking of what had happened since he'd last been home.

"Nothing that's worthwhile is easy, Joey…" Alice said softly. "I know Lauren appreciates you being there."

"I guess."

There was a noise at the other end of the line and then Alice spoke, "Mum's home… do you want to speak to her?"

"Yeah, Al…" Joey said. The phone was muffled but he could hear Alice speaking to his mum, although what she was saying he couldn't quite hear.

"Are you okay, Joey?" his mum asked, clearly having taken the phone off his sister.

"Just fancied a chat." He lied.

His mum was quiet for a few seconds, "Talk to me…"

"It's nothing…" he said.

"You're lying…" she accused him, rightly so. There was silence and Joey heard a door closing. "Now tell me the truth…" she said.

"It's just difficult… the same as last time I spoke to you… I think we're making headway and then Lauren has a wobble… She's at her counsellor now…"

"And you're…?"

"Waiting for her outside… I drove her here." He told her.

"Her seeing her counsellor is a good thing though, right?" His mum said.

"I hope so…"

"Why would it not be good?"

"What if her counsellor tells her she shouldn't be with me?" he asked. "That's it's not a good thing for her to be in a relationship…?"

"What do you think Lauren will say if she's told that?"

"I don't know, mum… I don't know…"

"Yes, you do." She said, a hint of anger in her voice. "This isn't you, Joey… you fight for what you want… When you were younger it was physically… but with Lauren, you've always fought for her… tried to get her… to keep her…" She fell silent and Joey waited for her to continue, knowing she wasn't finished and knowing better than to interrupt her. "And now, now you're giving up? That's not the Joey Branning I raised…" she said, her voice hard, "I raised my son to fight for what he wants… to keep the good things in his life and ditch the rubbish… And Lauren isn't rubbish… she's pretty much the best thing that's ever happened to you. You should be fighting to keep her with you… you should be being strong for her… supporting her and looking after her… like I know you want to… I know how much you love that girl, Joey… I know how much you need her and want her in your life… Now is not the time to give up… now is the time to fight even harder!"

"I know, mum…" he said, "I know…" He took a deep breath. "I think I just needed you to remind me… I knew what you were going to say before I even called."

"You just need to be there for Lauren, Joey… And if the counsellor tells her that she shouldn't be in a relationship right now, then you need to fight for it more… although I'm pretty sure that Lauren would tell the counsellor where to go with that suggestion. Lauren isn't stupid… she knows what she wants… even when she's been burnt heavily in a fire… Even at her worst time she was screaming for you, Joey… She isn't going to give up on you now."

"Okay, mum…" Joey said, a smile growing on his face, "I get it… You can calm down now…" The door to the building opened and Lauren emerged, her body hunched and her hands dug deep in her jean pockets, "I'd better go, mum… Lauren's coming out now… I'll speak to you at the weekend, okay?"

"Remember what I said, Joey…" His mum advised, "And you can call me at any time you want, okay?"

"I know that, mum."

"I love you, Joey… and I'm proud of you… proud of the man you've become…"

"I love you too, mum… I don't say that often enough…"

"You don't… but that doesn't mean I don't know it." She told him, "Bye Joey…" she said, ending the call before he could say anything else.

The car door opened moments later and Lauren got in the car, shutting the door firmly. "How did it go?" he asked her.

"Let's go home, Joe." She said. He stared at her face, seeing the remnants of tears on it and the slightly glassy look to her eyes. He knew she wasn't going to say anything else so he turned forward again and started the ignition.

*JL*JL*

Joey went up to bed later than Lauren that night. She'd gone to bed ridiculously early and Joey had surmised that she clearly wanted to be alone so he'd let her be. As he walked up the stairs he'd contemplated sleeping in Oscar's room that night but in the end he couldn't do it… regardless of everything, he wanted to be there for her… he wanted to be there in case she had another nightmare.

The room was dark when he opened the door and he didn't turn the lights on, simply stripping off his clothes and then sliding into the bed beside her. He tried not to get too close to her, assuming she wanted her own space… but it was hard to do in a single bed.

He lay there for a while but sleep would not prevail. Despite the fact he was exhausted. He sighed and very nearly got up and went back downstairs but then Lauren turned in her sleep and she rolled over, her head and hand resting on his chest.

"Joey…" she breathed, her one word making him smile in the darkness. Even now she knew he was there for her. She was sleeping soundly, which Joey was grateful for. He closed his eyes, willing himself to relax and fall asleep. It took a while but eventually he did.

 **A/N: I kind of love Maggie's pep talk to Joey… it makes me smile especially because Joey knew what she was going to tell him even before he called her. And then the ending… so sweet… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	32. Chapter 32

**This chapter is set a couple of days later... it's not clear from the chapter itself... but it does... :-)**

 **Chapter Thirty Two.**

"What are you looking at?" Lauren asked when she walked into the lounge the following day.

"I spoke to your dad earlier…" Joey said.

Lauren stopped and stared at him, "That didn't really answer my question, Joe." She said.

He glanced up at her before turning his attention back to the screen. "I'm doing a bit of shopping…"

"What are you shopping for?" she asked, walking over to where he was sitting so she could see the screen. Except that Joey slammed the laptop shut. "Joey, if you wanted to look at porn, you should've taken the laptop somewhere more private..." She looked at his face, "I can't pretend I'm not a little hurt by it but I know I'm not living up to your expectations in that department so I guess I shouldn't be surprised…"

"Babe, stop…" Joey said as she turned away from him. He reached for her hand and pulled her back around so she was facing him, "I'm not watching porn…" he told her softly, squeezing her hand. "And I've told you before, I'm prepared to wait until you're ready for anything like that." He said.

"Then what are you looking at?" she whispered. Joey sighed, pulling on her hand and tugging her so she was sat on his lap. He opened the screen and she stared at the web page. "Beds?" she murmured.

"We can't spend the rest of our lives in your tiny single bed, babe… so I spoke to your dad and he agreed we should get something a bit bigger…"

"What about the beds we already have?"

"He said something about seeing if Carol wanted them…"

"Oh…" Lauren breathed.

"So…" Joey said.

"So…" Lauren murmured.

"What sort of bed do you want then?"

"I don't mind…" Lauren said.

"I mean it, babe… help me choose a bed… it should be something we both like…" He continued to look at the screen but stopped after a few seconds when he felt her staring at him. He looked at her, "What?" he said.

"Why now?" she whispered.

"Because that bed is too small for the two of us…" he said. He lifted his hand and brushed some hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear, "And one day, we'll want to use the bed for more than just sleeping in… and there is definitely not enough room in there for that…" he whispered to her.

"So you're not going off me?" she murmured.

"Never, babe…" he told her, kissing her tenderly, "Why would you think that?"

"Because you want a bigger bed… so you don't have to be as close to me when we sleep…"

Joey laughed loudly, "Babe… I'm almost certain that we will sleep in exactly the same way as we do now… wrapped in each other's arms… this just means we have a little bit more space to spread out… and I won't have to worry about falling out of bed during the night." He told her. He kissed her again, "Silly girl…" he breathed against her mouth. "Now, let's choose a bed…" he said, his arm around her back as they both turned to computer. Within the hour they'd ordered the bed, Joey had paid for it on his credit card and it was going to be delivered later that week.

 **A/N: A short chapter… but I like it… It shows more of Lauren's insecurities and just how caring Joey is when it comes to his girl... and the porn line just makes me giggle. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Want another chapter tonight…? I could be convinced... so you know what to do! xx**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three.**

Lauren sat in the car lot portacabin, flicking through a magazine several days later. "You could've stayed at home, you know, babe…" her dad said.

"I didn't want to be there…" she stated.

"I don't understand why not…" he said, looking up at her from his paperwork.

"You know why…" was all she would say in reply.

Max turned back to his paperwork, shaking his head slightly.

*JL*JL*

The phone rang and Max answered it, "Branning and Son…" he said, smiling when he saw the look of surprise on Lauren's face. The name change of the business had been a recent thing which he hadn't yet had time to tell her about. The new sign for the car lot would be arriving in a couple of weeks. "Joey…" he paused, listening his nephew. "I can bring her over…" he finally said.

"Have they gone?" she asked.

"Yeah, we'll be over soon…" Max said, ignoring her question, "How's the paperwork coming along?" He nodded his head, "Great… well, I've got to go to that auction this afternoon… so you might as well have the afternoon off… there hasn't been any customers this morning… to Lauren's delight apparently…" he said. He ended the call a minute later and began to tidy his desk. "Come on, you…" he said as he got to his feet.

"Have they gone?" she asked again.

Her dad turned to look at her, "Would I really be taking you home if they hadn't, babe?" he asked her softly.

She stood up, picking up her bag and the magazine she'd been reading, "I guess not." She said.

"Come on…" he said, holding his hand out towards her. Lauren took it and let him lead her to the door of the office. They headed across the square back to the house and Lauren was surprised when her dad stopped on the pavement. "Up you go…" he said, encouraging her to go into the house. He watched as she unlocked the door and then opened it, glancing back at him before disappearing inside. He pulled his car keys out of his pocket, never more pleased to have an auction to go to. He tried not to think about what his nephew could possibly have planned. He started the engine and revved it slightly, releasing the handbrake and then peeling away from the curb and driving out of the square.

*JL*JL*

"Joey?" Lauren said after she'd taken off her coat and shoes. Her bag was on the floor near the door, forgotten momentarily.

"I'm up here…" he called down the stairs.

Lauren walked carefully up the stairs, the hours of sitting still earlier coming back to haunt her now. She opened the bedroom door, stepping inside and stopping as she stared across the room. Abi's bed had been removed from the room yesterday but Joey had obviously been busy and had dismantled her bed as well this morning. He'd rearranged the furniture around the room, making way for the bed that had now been delivered. He was lying on the bed, leaning back on his forearms, the muscles in his arms clearly visible as she stared at him. "Hi…" she said softly.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"About?"

Joey rolled her eyes, "About the bed…" he asked.

"It looks good…"

"What did you think I meant?" he asked.

"I thought you meant you…" she whispered.

"And what would your answer have been?"

"You look good too…" she said, her mouth running dry as she stared at him.

"Only good?" he asked, a crooked smile on his face.

Lauren smiled, "More than good…" she admitted.

"Maybe you should come closer… take a closer look… just to make sure…" he said.

Lauren pushed away from the wall she'd been leaning against, walking across the room to the side of the bed. "The bed is very nice, Joe…" she told him, "More than enough room for both of us…" she said.

Joey shifted across the bed, Lauren's eyes watching his every move, "Join me…" he said softly.

"I don't know, Joe…" she breathed.

"I'm not forcing you… I just want to lie here with you…" he said.

Lauren's eyes ran down his body, settling on his erection and she quirked an eyebrow as she glanced at his face, "Really?"

"Okay… yes, I'd like to do more… but I know you're not ready for anything more…" He looked at her seriously, "Can't we just lie here together… enjoy our new bed…?" he asked her.

"Okay." she said, sliding onto the bed and moving closer to him. "I take it you didn't greet the delivery men in this way?" she asked him with a smile.

"No, this I saved just for you…"

"That pleases me a great deal…" she whispered. She looked at his face as she moved even closer. "Kiss me…" she said softly as she kissed his shoulder tenderly.

"You just have to ask, babe…" he told her, leaning forward and kissing her mouth deeply. She moaned into his mouth, her hand lifting and brushing into his hair when he tried to pull away from her. Her other hand ran over his chest and then down to his stomach… and a little lower still. Joey was breathing heavily as he tore his mouth from hers, resting his forehead on her chest as she settled her hand on his thick cock.

"What if I said I wanted more than a kiss?" she breathed.

"How much more than a kiss are you thinking?" he asked.

"I'm not sure… not sex… not yet…" she said, although Joey had already known that was off the menu. "Maybe we could make out…?" she asked him.

"That I can do…" he said. Lauren rolled away from him, onto her back, turning her head so she was looking at him.

"I'm ready…" she murmured.

He edged across the bed to her, leaning over her and kissing her mouth. "I could do this forever…" he breathed against her mouth.

"You need to move, Joe…" she murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth. He looked confused so she explained further. "I want you on top of me…" she said.

"Your back…" he started.

"Will be fine…" she interrupted.

Joey stared into her eyes and saw the sincerity in them. She truly meant what she was saying and if she believed it, who was he to say no to her? He moved so he was half-lying on top of her, kissing her again. Her hand stroked his length slowly and he fought the urge to rub himself against her. "Let's take this slow, babe… eh?" he murmured, leaning down and kissing her again. "We don't want you to hurt yourself, do we?" he said.

Lauren closed her eyes, trying to hide her disappointment at his words. Why wouldn't he do what she wanted him to? He always was worrying about whether she would get hurt or not. He kissed her over and over and it was nice… but it wasn't what she'd come to expect from Joey. When they'd been together the first time their lovemaking had been passionate… tempestuous… almost like a battle between the two of them. Yes, this wasn't lovemaking but it was tepid… lack lustre… and dare she say it… boring. "Ow…" she moaned after ten minutes of gentle kisses.

Joey pulled away from her sharply. "What's wrong?"

"My back aches…" she lied. "I think I should go and have a shower… sitting at the car lot probably didn't help…" she admitted. Joey rolled onto his back and Lauren pushed herself carefully so she was sitting up, getting to her feet and heading towards the door. Just as she was about to leave the room, she turned her head towards the bed, looking at Joey, "I'm sorry…" she whispered, seeing the dejection on his face and knowing he was as frustrated as she was with what had just happened.

*JL*JL*

Lauren sat in the bath ten minutes later, the lukewarm water ebbing around her. She wiped at her face, swiping at the tears that fell from her eyes. She stared across the room, resting her chin on her arms as she hugged her knees… a picture of perfect misery.

 **A/N: So the new bed hasn't helped much at all… and they're both still pretty miserable. Let's hope things improve soon. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four.**

Many weeks had passed and there was a noticeable tension between the pair that both would deny if asked… even to themselves. They went about their business every day, maintaining the façade of their relationship but at night time there was little pretence, they would lie in their nice new bed, lying further apart than either of them liked but neither of them knowing how to repair what was broken.

Lauren and Joey walked hand in hand to the hospital. They headed towards the burns clinic and registered at the reception, taking a seat. Lauren couldn't believe it was already three months since she'd been released from hospital. This was the first time she'd seen her doctor since she was released and he was going to review how her burns were healing. To say she was nervous was an understatement. They waited for some time and then were called into the doctor's office.

"Take a seat, Lauren." The doctor said. "How have you been in the last few months?" he asked once they were settled.

"Good… the skin was quite tight when I first got home but Joey's been helping me with the lotion and it's gradually loosened up a little." Lauren told him. "My left leg doesn't seem to be healing as well as the right one is though…" she said softly, feeling Joey squeeze her hand. Truth be told her left leg was giving her quite a lot of pain still. There were times when she'd get really bad cramp in it, something she hid from most people but Joey knew how bad the pain was, holding her in his arms when the pain was unbearable and she couldn't sleep, despite the strained atmosphere between the two of them. It was the only closeness they'd really shared in the last few weeks. The pain was growing much more frequent with it happening three times in the last week.

"Well, let's look at your back first and then I'll check your legs." He said. Lauren stood and walked over to the examination table, pulling the curtain around and starting to remove her clothes. She called through she was ready and the doctor disappeared behind the curtain. He started at the top of her back, peering closely at the scars on her shoulders. "These are healing very well, Lauren." He told her softly, his fingertips brushing over them as he studied her skin. "It won't be long until there's only faint marks here." He added. He moved lower, inspecting her lower back intently. "There's a little more scarring here…" he said as his fingers prodded where she'd had her skin graft after the infection had taken hold. "I'm happy with the way it's healing though, Lauren." He reassured her, "your wounds were much more significant here and the infection held back the initial healing that other areas had… if you continue with the lotion, I think you'll see further sign of improvement over the coming months." He reassured her. "I'll look at your right leg first," he then said. "The graft site has completely healed… hardly any scarring there at all which is great. Your lower leg is progressing nicely… as you know, the burns here were less severe than your other leg and we didn't have the same problems with necrosis of the tissue." He turned his attention to her other leg, the one she was getting pains in. "The graft site on your left leg is a little further behind in healing than your other but it was a larger graft site and we had to take a thicker layer of your dermis so it's taking longer to heal but its pain free, yes?" he checked.

"Yes… it doesn't bother me at all… it's the lower leg I'm getting all the pain in… I get cramp in it a lot…"

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rank it?"

"Right now, it's about a one or two… at its worst it can be as high as a seven… maybe eight." Lauren told him.

"And how often are the flare ups?" he asked as he continued to check her left leg.

"It used to be once every couple of weeks… now it's much more frequently… it's happened three nights this week… I get very restless and I can't sleep when it's bad…"

"I know it's painful and I can sympathise but it's part of the process of it healing. There was a lot of damage to your leg, Lauren… there was muscle and nerve damage as well as the burns… then with the necrosis as well, the healing of the graft is clearly not as advanced it is in the other locations…"

"Is there anything I can do to ease the pain?" Lauren asked.

"Try not to do anything too energetic before you go to bed… as that sounds like when the flare ups are worse… Gentle massage of the leg may help ease the cramping but it may not make the leg feel any better."

"Oh." Lauren said, deflating slightly.

"I'm sorry, Lauren." He told her gently. "You can get dressed again now… I'll see you back out in the main office." Lauren waited until he'd left the curtained off area and then she sat up. She sat on the edge of the bed and picked up her bra. She was about to put it on when her emotions bubbled to the surface and tears started to fall down her face. She was aware of the doctor and Joey being in the main room so she tried to stop from making any noise but after a couple of minutes, it all became too much and she began to sob.

 **A/N: I think Lauren was hoping for some sort of miracle cure… and she seems pretty devastated… It also looks like things between her and Joey haven't improved either… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five.**

Joey was sitting in the main room when he heard Lauren start to cry. He glanced at the doctor seeing him nod his head and Joey sprang up and moved behind the curtain. "Baby girl…" he whispered, wrapping his arms around her shaking body. "It'll be okay, babe… I promise…" he said, kissing the top of her head.

"No, it won't… Everything is so fucked up… I'm never going to get better… my life is ruined…" she sobbed.

"Hey now…" Joey said, tilting up her chin and looking into her miserable eyes. "Things will get better, Lauren… think about how far you've come in the last few months… since it happened… You're so much closer to being better than you were… you just need to have faith that everything will be okay…"

"I lost my faith that day…" she whispered.

"You need to keep being strong, babe… like you've been for the last eight months…"

"I don't have any strength left, Joe…"

"Then let me be strong for you…" he pleaded her.

"I can't Joe… I can't drag you down with me…" She murmured, "I nearly did that last time, didn't I? I can't do that again… I can't hurt you again…"

Joey swallowed the pain he was feeling as he stared at her. Her words were still ringing in his ears. "You don't mean that…" he said.

"I'm sorry," she breathed.

He straightened up, pulling away from her, staring her face, "You should get dressed…" he said. "I'll wait for you outside…" he added in a whisper. She nodded, biting her lip as she wiped away the tears on her face.

She watched as he made his way back out of the curtained area. She took a deep breath and picked up her clothes, slowly putting them back on, her mind half focussed on the task in hand and half thinking about the mess she was making of things with Joey. She walked back into the office and stopped, "Where's Joey?"

 **A/N: Another cliffhanger… Is this the time where Lauren has pushed Joey too far? Where has he gone? And will he come back? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six.**

"Have a seat, Lauren." The doctor said.

"Where did Joey go?" she asked again.

"Sit down." He said kindly, studying her face.

"I need to find Joey…"

"He's going to wait for you outside, Lauren… I think we need to talk…"

"He's left me…" she whispered, deflating further as she stared at the door out of the office.

"He just went to get some air." He reassured her. "How long have you been feeling like this, Lauren?" he asked gently.

"Like what?"

"I heard what you said to Joey a minute ago…"

"I didn't mean it… I didn't mean to push him away… I'm just…" She bit her lip, looking at the doctor, seeing the professional mask on his face.

"You're just what?" he pushed.

"I'm getting in first…"

The doctor stared at her, "So you're pushing him away… because you think he's going to leave you?" he said.

"They always do… and why wouldn't they now?" she said. "When I'm like this…"

"Like what?" he asked, knowing he was getting to the crux of the matter.

"Like this?" She said as if it was obvious. "Why would anyone want to be with me after what happened…?"

"Sit down, Lauren." He said.

"I need to speak to Joey…" she said distractedly.

"Joey will be fine… sit down…" She stood in the middle of the room, looking undecided and the doctor walked over to her. "There are things I need to speak to you about…" he said, placing his hand on her arm and leading her back over to the chairs in front of his desk. She sat down, frowning as she tried to work out what he wanted to talk about. The doctor moved back around his desk, sitting down and staring at her. He opened a drawer of his desk, "I'm going to prescribe you some tablets…" he told her.

"Tablets? Is there something wrong? Is it the burns?"

"No, Lauren… it's something that a lot of patients who've been through what you have sometimes face… These tablets will make you feel better… will help with the way you're feeling…" he said as he scribbled on the pad. He tore off the page and held the paper out towards her. "You should take these twice a day, morning and night… they'll help you relax…"

"What are they?" she asked, taking the paper from him, staring at it but not any clearer.

"They're anti-depressants… very mild ones… but I think they will help you." He said.

"I'm not depressed."

"I think you are." He said, not backing down from his diagnosis. He could see the disbelief on her face, "Lauren, when I first saw you at the hospital, I really thought we were going to lose you… your burns were some of the worst I'd ever seen that didn't result in fatality. I wasn't sure you'd be strong enough to get through it… I couldn't even understand how you were still conscious… but you were… you were screaming Joey's name, your voice was hoarse and it kept breaking as you cried out his name but you kept going. We had to give you a sedative to calm you down because your voice was giving up… your throat was already sore from the smoke you'd inhaled and the screaming wasn't helping at all… I went to speak to your dad and that was when I met Joey and I could see that he cared for you as much as you clearly did him. I watched him as he sat with you for days. All of your family spent time with you but Joey was there the most… He was there every time I removed the dressings to look at your wounds. He's seen you at your absolute worst, Lauren and he didn't leave. He stayed with you…"

"Because he knew I needed him…" she whispered.

"Partly, yes… I'm sure that was a factor… but do you know what I think was the biggest reason for him staying?" he asked. She shook her head. "Because he needed you…"

Lauren stared at him, her eyes widening as his words sunk in. "Why do I keep pushing him away?" she breathed.

"You've been through a lot, Lauren… you've dealt with so much in a short space of time and your mind is struggling to handle it all… to keep up with all the changes you've been through…"

"You think I'm mad?" she gasped.

"That wasn't what I said… I don't think you're mad… I think that you're mentally finding it difficult to deal with the trauma you've been through… Like I said earlier, a lot of burns patients suffer similarly." He told her, "It's not a failing on your part… you just need a little help and these drugs will do that."

"I don't want to take any more medication." She said, "I'm already taking more than I want to."

"These are very mild and the painkillers you're on are also not that strong… These will just enable you to relax a little… to get some sleep." He told her.

"Will it make me prettier?" she said, clenching the prescription in her hand.

"Beauty isn't just on the outside, Lauren… Looking at you, you'd never know you were a burns patient."

"Until I take my clothes off," she whispered.

"It's just temporary." He reminded her.

"Not all of the scars are going to go though, are they?" she said.

"No, you're right… they won't all go… but something tells me that Joey won't care about a few scars that will fade over the years. He's seen you when you were lying in the hospital with bits of skin blackened and hanging off you. He's watched as I removed dead pieces of skin from your leg…" Lauren's face paled and he noticed, "I'm not saying this to upset you and to bring back unpleasant memories, Lauren… I'm telling you this because none of this scared Joey off… he didn't leave you then and I can guarantee he won't leave you now… unless you keep forcing him to."

She stared at the paper in her hand, "I'll give these a try…" she whispered.

"That's all I'm asking… I'd like you see to a counsellor as well." He said. "You need to talk about what you've been through. I can give you some numbers of people I'd suggest…"

"I've got a counsellor… I've been seeing her already…"

"You've been to see one already?"

"Yes, I spoke to her about what happened… it helped a little so I stopped going to see her… I guess I could go and see her again."

"I think it would be wise." He said, "I'd like you to come back in a month and we can discuss how the tablets are helping… maybe adjust the dosage…" he told her.

"I'll book an appointment on my way out." She said, nodding her head. "Thank you…" she said as she stood up.

"You're welcome, Lauren… now, go and speak to that boy of yours and clear the air."

*JL*JL*

Lauren walked out of the hospital, unsure where Joey was but she stopped as she saw him pacing backwards and forwards near the ticket machines for the car park. Lauren took a deep breath and made her way over to him. He stopped as he saw her approach, clearly not sure what to expect when she got there. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, staring at his face. "I don't mean to keep pushing you away… it's the last thing I want…" she told him. "I want you so badly… I get scared that you're going to leave me…"

"I don't want to, babe… but it's difficult to remember that when you keep shoving me out of the door."

"I know… I'm so sorry…" She stepped forward, relaxing slightly when his arms wrapped around her body. She leant her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she breathed in. She was the calmest she'd felt all morning. "The doctor has prescribed me some anti-depressants…" she whispered. "And he wants me to go and see my counsellor again…"

"I think they're both good things, babe…" he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"I'll try to stop pushing you away, Joe… I can't swear there won't be the odd slip but I'll try…"

"I'm not going anywhere, babe… I can't lose you again." he said. "Shall we go home now then?" he asked.

"Via the chemist." She said.

"Sure… and maybe you can call your counsellor on the way home…" he suggested.

*JL*JL*

Lauren got her prescription as they headed home, Lauren read through the leaflet that came with them. She spoke to Joey and asked him to keep the tablets from her dad… not wanting him to worry even further than he already was. In the middle of the afternoon she went upstairs and started to run herself a bath, pouring some vanilla bubble bath into the water.

She walked into her room as the bath was filling and removed her clothes. She pulled Joey's gown around her body and then walked back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her but not locking it. She slowly got into the bath, sighing as the hot water ebbed through her body. She leant her head back against the top of the bath and closed her eyes, losing herself momentarily in the memories of what had happened that day. It had been an emotional day and she'd pushed Joey to his limits once more. She hated that she had but after what her doctor had said to her, she was at least a little clearer on why she'd done it. She hated that she had to take the tablets, feeling like it showed a weakness she hated people seeing and she was also worried that she'd get hooked on them but she was prepared to try it for a little while and the doctor had told her they were very mild. She had called her counsellor on the way home from the hospital and she had an appointment arranged for tomorrow so no doubt it would be another difficult day. She was scared about what the next few days would hold for her… and Joey… These were scary times.

 **A/N: Poor Lauren… it just keeps getting worse for her, doesn't it? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven.**

Lauren lay in bed later that night, waiting for Joey to come upstairs. She'd pleaded tiredness and had come up to bed about an hour earlier, hoping that Joey would join her. So here she was, lying in the dark waiting for him. A floorboard on the stairs creaked and she held her breath, closing her eyes and feigning sleep. The door opened quietly but the light remained off. Lauren was going to say something to him, telling him she was awake but she kept quiet, sensing that he didn't want her to be awake… if he had, he'd have come upstairs earlier. After a few minutes he climbed into bed beside her and Lauren wanted to move closer to him but again she refrained. He moved behind her and she had to physically stop herself from flinching as his fingers grazed the back of her arm, brushing the edge of the scars. His voice broke the silence and she wondered briefly if he knew she was awake but quickly realised he didn't.

"Do you have any idea how much I fucking love you…?" he breathed, one fingertip circling the edge of a scar so softly she almost couldn't feel it. "And how much it hurts when you say things like you did today…?" he added and Lauren felt awful. "I just want to love you and keep you safe… to look after you…" he told her. "I know that may sound old fashioned… but it's just how I am, babe… I had to look after my mum and sister when I was growing up… and I want to do that for you now." He took a breath and Lauren could hear the emotion in his voice, even though he was barely making a sound, "I want to be the one who's there for you when you need me… I want us to grow disgustingly old together… In short, I guess… I just want you… always have done… always will…" he said. He said nothing more, edging closer to her as his arm wound around her waist. Lauren listened and waited, hearing his breath even out a few minutes later. She lay in his arms, mulling over his words. Tears ran down her face and as she silently cried she made a vow to herself that she would try harder.

*JL*JL*

Over the next few days Lauren got into the routine of taking her tablets and she had two sessions with her counsellor. She knew she wasn't cured but she could feel there was a slight improvement… in all things apart from with Joey. She knew this… she'd even discussed it with her counsellor… the only person she didn't seem able to talk to it about was Joey himself. Things weren't bad between the two of them… It was different to how it had been before the hospital visit… there wasn't an awkward tension… no atmosphere or bad feeling… it just wasn't what Lauren had hoped it would be either… and she was sure it wasn't for Joey as well. She'd toyed with the idea of telling him to go home… even just for a few days… but when she'd tried to talk to him about it her throat had gone dry and she couldn't get the words to leave her mouth. So she'd decided that in her heart she didn't want him to go.

The one thing she'd realised was that the only way things were going to change between them was if she did something. The ball was firmly in her court and it was time for Lauren to return it. It could've been any day but when Lauren woke this morning she knew today was the day. She'd said nothing as she watched her dad and Joey get ready and then leave for work. Once she was alone she made a move. She'd gone upstairs and had a shower, standing under the flow of water for some time. She'd put the lotion on her scars, blocking her emotions as she dabbed at them with her fingers. When she was done she then dressed in something comfortable. She headed downstairs, taking her coat off the hook and then grabbing her handbag. She took a few deep breaths, going through the relaxation techniques her counsellor had shown her and then opened the front door.

*JL*JL*

She looked towards the car lot, a mixture of relieved and disappointed when she saw there wasn't anyone around. She knew, in her heart, that she needed to do this on her own… but at the same time, she wished Joey was here to hold her hand. She went down the stairs, her eyes running around the square, thankful that she didn't seem to have caught anyone's attention just yet.

It seemed bright outside and Lauren realised she'd spent far too much time hidden away from everything. It was bright and noisy and for a moment she nearly chickened out, fighting the urge to turn around and run back up the stairs and into the sanctuary of the house… although it could be argued that it was as much a prison as it was her sanctuary. She walked with her head down, hoping she didn't run into too many people as she headed for her destination. She glanced up as she reached the bottom of the market, finding Peter watching her intently and she paused, staring at his face as panic ran through her head. She hadn't spoken to him since before… In fact, they hadn't really ended their relationship, it was obviously done – he hadn't even been over to see her since she'd been home, although she didn't want to see him anyway. She knew she should speak to him but she just wasn't up to it today. She started walking again, heading to the door of the pub and knocking on it.

The door opened, Mick Carter standing there. "Is Nancy available?" Lauren asked him, not quite able to meet his eyes when she looked at him.

"Come in, darlin'… she's just upstairs but I'll let her know you're here…" he said, stepping backwards and opening the door for her. She walked in and he shut the door again, locking it behind them. "Have a seat… I won't be a minute." He said, disappearing out of the back of the bar. Lauren sat down, her eyes locked on the optics behind the counter. She thought briefly about how easy it would be to go back there and get herself a quick drink. It would take seconds and she could drink it before Mick even returned. No one would ever know. She slumped in the chair, closing her eyes and lowering her head as she took a couple of deep breaths. "She'll be down in a minute, Lauren." Mick said, his voice startling her as she looked up at him. "Would you like a drink?" he asked.

"More than you know…" she whispered, looking at the spirits once more. She sighed, "Can I have an orange juice?" she asked.

"Of course." He said, having not missed her earlier words. He remembered the conversation he'd had with Max after they'd first moved to the Vic, when he'd told him about how Lauren couldn't have any alcohol. He could see the longing on her face and his heart went out to her, knowing how much she'd been through… and was still going through… He got her the orange juice and walked it over to her table, placing it in front of her. "It's good to see you around, darlin'…" he said.

"Thanks." She whispered, sipping from her glass. "How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it, darlin'." He said. "I'll leave you to it… just holler if you need anything…" he said, smiling at her.

"I will…" she murmured, wondering what he'd say if she asked him to slip a shot of vodka in her glass. She knew exactly what he'd say, to be honest… and she didn't even really want the vodka anyway… it just seemed like a good crutch to use… something to make her forget about everything for a little while. The door at the far end of the bar opened and there stood Nancy. Lauren and Nancy had a somewhat tempestuous relationship which had almost got violent a couple of times and Lauren wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go.

Nancy walked over to where she was sitting, "Do you want to talk?"

"If you have some time…" Lauren said softly.

"Sure…" Nancy said, starting to sit down.

"Would it be okay if we don't sit down here?" Lauren said suddenly. Nancy looked at her in surprise. "The urge to drink is quite high…" Lauren admitted, "Sitting staring at the bottles is a bit too close for comfort." She added.

"Why don't we go upstairs?" Nancy suggested, "My parents are both busy and Lee is out…" she said, "Unless you want to go out somewhere?"

"Upstairs is fine." Lauren said quickly, not wanting to venture outside for as long as she could. They got up and Lauren picked up her drink, following behind Nancy as they headed through to the back of the pub. "Where's Johnny?" she asked as they headed up the stairs.

Nancy turned back to look at her, "Oh, I guess you weren't here, were you…?" she said, "He left just before Christmas… gone travelling the world with his boyfriend, Gianluca… last time we heard from him he was in Peru…"

"Oh…" Lauren said, "No one told me he'd left…"

"You've had other things to think about, ain't you?" Nancy said.

"I guess." Lauren walked slowly up the stairs, following Nancy until they reached her bedroom.

"Come in," Nancy said, holding the door open for her. "You can sit anywhere… sorry, it's a bit of a mess…"

"It's fine, Nancy…" Lauren said as she perched on the edge of the bed. "I just turned up here, unannounced, didn't I?"

Nancy sat down and the room fell awkwardly silent. "So…" Nancy said after a couple of minutes.

"Joey said you and Tamwar were together…" Lauren said.

"We are," Nancy confirmed.

"He said you said you'd speak to me… about his scars…" Lauren murmured.

"I did…" Nancy said, "Joey told us you were worried about how people would react if they see them…" she said.

"I…" Lauren stopped speaking, "It's sounds vain…" she whispered.

"What does?"

"I just don't want to look ugly…"

"Are we talking in general… or do you mean to Joey?" Nancy asked.

Lauren thought about it, "Both I guess." She said.

"Well, in general, I don't think anyone would ever describe you as ugly, Lauren… not even a blind man… You're beautiful… always have been and nothing has changed…"

"You think so?" Lauren asked softly.

"I wish I had your looks, Lauren." Nancy told her matter-of-factly, "Yes, okay I'm sure you've got some scarring… it'd be more of a surprise if you hadn't… but looking at you now, you can't tell…" she stated. "I saw you when you were brought out of that building… you didn't even look like you, Lauren… you would never guess how badly your face and hands were burnt, looking at you now…"

"I was lucky… they were only first and second degree burns and I got the treatment I needed quickly." Lauren said.

"As to the Joey thing… I don't really know him but when I met him that afternoon when he was talking to Tam, it was clear to see that he loves you… Adores you… and I'm pretty sure he loved you just as much beforehand…"

"What was it like for you?" Lauren asked, "The first time you saw Tam's scars…"

"It was a surprise, I'll admit… he didn't tell me about them until we were about to…" Nancy stopped speaking, biting her lip. "He took off his top and told me about them… what had happened… and then he turned and showed me them…"

"What did you think?" Lauren whispered.

"I thought about how incredibly brave he was to show them to me… I know what it's like to have a secret that you don't tell people…"

"You do?" Lauren said, turning her head to look at her in surprise.

Nancy turned to look at her, nodding her head. "I'm epileptic…" she told her. "I have seizures… only my family, Tam… and now you know…" she said, "Dexter knew as well… he was there when I had a seizure not long after we got the square."

"I didn't realise…" Lauren said.

"Why would you?" Nancy said, "I don't go round advertising it… you can't tell from looking at me…" She looked at Lauren, "I hate people knowing… they look at me differently… treat me differently once they know… Tam doesn't… He worries about me… worries I might have a seizure that is bad… when I'm on my own and something bad could happen…" she told her. "I guess in a way he does treat me differently… but it's different with the person you love, ain't it?" she said.

"So seeing his scars didn't put you off?" Lauren whispered.

"No, Lauren… they're a part of who he is… he wouldn't be the person he is now if he hadn't gone through that… Like I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't have my seizures… Those things make us who we are… they make him the person I love…" She said, "Yes, okay, I'll admit I wish he hadn't had to go through that pain… but he has and he's come through it. He was strong enough to handle the pain… I think he's probably the strongest guy I know…" she added.

"I hadn't thought of it like that." Lauren breathed. "I guess I got so wrapped up in how I look, I didn't think of everything else…" she said. She glanced at Nancy, "I guess that makes me pretty shallow, eh?"

"No… I think it's natural to feel that way… I know Tam has huge issues about his scars… He didn't want to tell me about them… he thought it would put me off wanting to be with him…" Lauren frowned, her insecurities returning as she realised that Tamwar was still mentally affected by his scars after so many years. "I think he'll always feel that way… but the fact I know about them and we're still together… and we're going to be together has helped. His scars don't define who he is, Lauren… they never have and they certainly aren't going to define how I feel about him either."

"Do you think Joey will be the same?" Lauren asked softly.

"Do you think he won't?" Nancy asked her seriously.

"I don't know…"

"Yes, you do…" Nancy said. "He was there when you were at the hospital, right?"

"Yeah…"

"So he's seen your burns and what happened to you right from the beginning, yeah?"

"Yeah…" Lauren said again.

"I should imagine your wounds were pretty horrific just after the fire," Nancy stated.

"They were…" Lauren murmured, although she had very little recollection of that time.

"Well, I think you're safe then." Nancy told her, "He's seen your burns before they started to heal… and it didn't scare him away… He's still with you… He cares for you… When he was in here… I could see it in his eyes… He's kinda hot when he talks about you…"

"Hands off!" Lauren said, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

"I know… and I'm with Tam… He wouldn't want me anyway… not when he's got you…" Nancy said with a smirk. She looked at Lauren carefully, "It must've been difficult when you first got together…" she said, changing the subject slightly, "Tam wouldn't tell me about it when I asked." She said softly.

"It was messy… I made it worse… after Joey's dad screwed it up…" Lauren said.

"How did you make it worse?" Nancy asked in interest.

"My drinking… the pressure of everything made that spiral out of control… I ended up in rehab…" Lauren grinned at Nancy, "That didn't scare Joey off either… not really anyway…"

"Told you so." Nancy said.

 **A/N: I think the Nancy/Lauren friendship has real potential and I'm hoping that when she returns to the show proper, they utilise it. I hope that Nancy's talk with Lauren has helped here… It was brave of Lauren to leave the house for the first time. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight.**

Lauren left the pub a couple of hours after arriving. She turned back to Nancy, "Thanks Nancy…" she said. "It's been really good to talk to someone…"

"I'm glad I could help… you know where I am if you need someone to vent to…" she said.

"Sorry, I disturbed your morning…" Lauren said.

Nancy grinned, "Don't worry about it… in fact if you want to disturb me again at any time, feel free…" she said, "It got me out of tidying up down here… so it's certainly no problem for me."

"I 'eard that…" her dad growled but he was smiling so Lauren knew he wasn't being serious.

Linda was standing near where they were, "It's good to see you up and about again, Lauren." She said, smiling at her.

"It's actually good to be out." Lauren said. "I'd better go…" she said, looking at Nancy again. "Thanks so much…" she whispered. She walked out of the pub, feeling many times lighter than she had done when she'd got there. She turned and walked through the market, heading towards the café. "Hi Auntie Carol…" she said once she was at the counter.

"Lauren… how are you, darling?"

"I'm good… best I've been for a long time really…" Lauren admitted. "Can I get three bacon rolls, two black coffees and a hot chocolate to go?" she asked.

"Of course…" Carol said, turning and starting to make the coffees. "Have you been out this morning?" she asked.

"I went to the Vic…" Lauren said, smiling slightly as she saw her aunt tense at her reply. Was it wrong that she enjoyed winding her up a little too much? "I spent some time with Nancy… talking to her about stuff… It kind of helped…" she added, after a small pause. Her aunt relaxed and Lauren shook her head as she pulled her purse out of her bag. Her aunt turned back to her and placed the three cups in a cardboard tray on the counter.

"Three bacon rolls, was it?" she asked.

"Please." Lauren said.

"Sauce?"

"Brown on two of them… and ketchup on the other one…"

"Your dad?" Carol asked with a smile. Lauren nodded. "He always did love ketchup when he was a kid… Mum always used to tell him off for using too much…"

"Did she?"

"Yes… and your granddad… well, he got so angry with him once he took away his dinner and replaced it with a plate and told him he could only have ketchup. I think he thought it was a punishment but your dad thought it was one of the best meals he'd ever had. Dad made him stay in his seat after we'd all finished and got down from the table and I guess he had another go at him… told him it was disrespectful to mum to smother his food in ketchup… that she'd gone to the bother of making food for everyone and all he did was drown it with red sauce…" She bagged up the rolls as she spoke and Lauren listened in interest. "Then dad belted him on the back of the legs… which probably taught your dad more than his earlier rant had… he didn't have as much ketchup ever again but he still had some…"

"He eats it all the time at home…" Lauren admitted, slightly disturbed by the story her aunt had just told her… it didn't seem to agree with the image of the grandfather she knew but it sure sounded like her dad and she knew that his relationship with his own father hadn't been that great.

"Here you go, darling." Carol said.

"How much do I owe you?" Lauren asked.

She typed the amounts into the till, "£12.50." she said. Lauren handed her some money and then her aunt gave her some change back.

"I'd better be going then… while they're still warm." Lauren said.

"You sure you can manage?" Carol asked.

"I'll be fine, Auntie Carol… but thanks." Lauren said, picking up the food and tray of drinks.

"Here, let me get the door for you…" Carol said, rushing out from behind the counter and opening the door for her. Lauren smiled at her and then walked out of the café, making her way through the market as she headed over to the car lot. She walked past Peter and very nearly had to speak to him but Kat stepped in to her rescue.

"Hi sweetheart…" She said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I'll be back in a minute, B…" she called back as she walked next to Lauren, leading her down the street and away from Peter's hard stare.

"Thanks Kat." Lauren said softly.

"It was the least I could do, sweetheart." She said. "I'll let you get to that boy of yours…" she said. "Let me know when you want me to bring the boys over again."

"I will, Kat." Lauren said, smiling at her. She left the woman behind and walked up to the car lot portacabin. She pushed open the door and both men looked up, quickly appearing shocked when they saw it was her. "Hi." She said self-consciously.

"Babe, are you okay?" Max asked, getting to his feet and walking over to her, kissing her forehead.

"I'm fine, dad… I brought over some lunch." She said gently, looking at Joey, who continued to stare at her.

"What have you got?" her dad asked.

"Bacon roll…" she said.

"With…" he prompted.

"Ketchup…" they said together and Lauren grinned at him.

"Fantastic," he said, smiling at her and taking the bag.

"Don't forget your coffee." Lauren said as he made to walk away. He turned back and grabbed one of the coffees before walking back to his desk. Lauren took a deep breath and moved towards where Joey was sitting. "Room for a little one?" she said softly.

"I think I can make some space…" he told her with a smile, pushing his chair back so Lauren could sit on his lap. He kissed the side of her head as she placed her purchases on his desk. "What have you been doing this morning?" he asked.

"I went to the Vic…" she said.

"Lauren Branning…" her dad growled and Lauren giggled.

"Relax dad, I went to see Nancy… not down a bottle of vodka!" she told him, her voice more serious than she'd intended it to be. She passed a roll and the remaining coffee to Joey and then opened the last bag, pulled out the roll and started to eat.

"How did it go, baby girl?" Joey asked, around his mouthful of bacon roll. Lauren swallowed, looking at him in mock disgust. "What?" he said.

"I'm just wondering how I could love you so much… when you behave like that…" she said softly.

"You love me?" he whispered and Lauren realised what she'd just said, closely followed by remembering her dad's presence. She bit her lip, nodding her head ever so slightly. "Love you too…" he said, leaning forward and kissing her tenderly.

"Oh please…" Her dad muttered, "I'm trying to eat here… and you're making my stomach churn…" he teased them both.

Lauren picked up her roll once more and ate in silence, leaning against Joey as she did so. Every now and again she'd see her dad glance at her and despite his words just moments earlier, he would smile before turning back to his food and coffee.

*JL*JL*

Max went out the front when he saw a customer on the forecourt, leaving Joey and Lauren together. "So how did it go with Nancy?" Joey asked once they were alone.

"It was good… I'm glad I spoke to her…" she told him.

"Good." He said, kissing the side of her head.

"I think this has brought us closer together… in a strange kind of way…" Lauren told him, "We used to fight heaps before everything happened…"

"Maybe the two of you just needed a bit of a push…" Joey said, "When I met her at the Vic, in a small way, she kind of reminded me of you…" he added.

"She did?"

"Yeah," Joey said, "She's got spirit… fire…" He looked at her, "Sorry… poor choice of words…" he told her.

"It's fine, Joe… we can't spend the rest of our lives avoiding the word…" Lauren said.

"The rest of our lives?" he breathed, watching her face for any sign of emotion.

Lauren looked at him, seeing the hope in his eyes and her heart melted, "The rest of our lives." She whispered.

Joey kissed her softly, his arm carefully winding around her back, "I'm going to hold you to that…"

"Good plan, Joe." She said, smiling at him. "I'd better go… Leave you to your work."

"You don't have to…" he whispered.

"I really should… Dad'll be back in here soon… I don't want to test his patience… He's already given you a job here." She said. "I'll see you later." She added, kissing him quickly before standing up. She walked out of the office, shutting the door behind her. She smiled when she saw her dad shake his customer's hand and they finished their conversation. He started to walk back to where she stood and she met him halfway.

"You off?" he asked.

"Yeah… Hey, dad…"

"Yes, babe…?"

"Could you make yourself scarce tonight? I wanted to do something special with Joe…"

"I shouldn't imagine that will be a problem… Maybe I'll see if your aunt can feed me."

"Thanks dad… Don't tell Joe, okay? I'd like it to be a surprise…"

"Of course…" he said. He hugged her gently, kissing the top of her head, "I'm proud of you, babe…"

"I haven't done anything…"

"You have… more than you probably realise… You make an old man very proud…" he told her softly, lifting his hand and cupping the side of her face. Lauren's eyes filled with tears, seeing the pride shining from her dad's eyes.

"Thanks dad…" she whispered again.

"I'll see you later then… or tomorrow morning, depending on what time I get home."

Lauren smiled and then walked to back to the house, plans starting to formulate in her head.

 **A/N: So Lauren is making an effort… and she's got something planned for Joey… I wonder what it could be… I love the bit between Max and Lauren at the end… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty Nine.**

Joey opened the front door, wondering what the hell was going on. His uncle had told him to pick up a takeaway on the way home for him and Lauren and had then disappeared to Auntie Carol's. He wasn't sure what exactly he should expect when he got home. Would it be another meltdown? He just couldn't judge. She'd seemed good earlier that day but there had been times before when she'd been the same and then it was a complete disaster when he saw her again.

The house was quiet as he walked into it. Quiet and dark which worried him. He pushed open the door to the lounge, stopping when he saw the candles lighting the room. Lauren was sitting at the dining room table which was set for a romantic meal for two… the only thing missing was the food… which he'd brought home with him. "Hi." She whispered, staring at him intently.

"Your dad told me to bring dinner home with me…" he said.

"I asked him earlier…" she said, having sent her dad a text asking the very same thing about an hour after she'd left the car lot. "Come over here, Joe…" she said, pushing his chair out with her foot.

Joey walked over, placing the paper bag of Indian food on the table. Lauren took a tub of food out of it and began to serve it between the two plates. Joey sat on the chair and watched as she silently worked until all the food was served. "You've gone to a lot of trouble…" Joey said, looking around the room.

"I wanted to do something special for you…" Lauren said. "I sometimes forget how much you've given up to come back here for me… and I wanted to do this… to say thank you…"

"You don't need to thank me, babe… I'll always want to be with you…"

"Even when I'm a mess in your arms?" She said, smiling at him softly.

"Especially when you're a mess in my arms…" he said with a grin, "What can I say… I'm a man, babe… a woman in my arms is never a bad thing… especially when it's you…" he said.

Lauren blushed although he wouldn't see that in the dimly lit room. She started to eat her dinner, glancing at Joey every now and again. Once they'd finished eating they cleared up the plates and carried them into the kitchen, spending a few minutes washing and drying them. "What do you want to do now?" she asked him.

"Whatever you want, babe…" he said, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her back against his.

Lauren smiled, turning in his arms and standing on her tiptoes. She kissed him softly. "Can we go upstairs?" she whispered.

He paused briefly, staring at her face, "If that's what you want to do…" he told her.

"Okay." Lauren said, pulling away from him slightly and slipping her hand in his, "We'd better go and blow all those candles out though… don't really want to start another fire, do we?" she said, squeezing his hand.

*JL*JL*

Joey let Lauren lead the way as they went up to their room. He had no idea where this was heading but he was willing to follow her and do whatever she wanted him to do. They walked into their room and he flicked on the lights but Lauren quickly spoke, "Can you turn them off?"

"Of course…" he said, moving back to the door and switching the light back off. The lamps on her desk and bedside table switched on moments later. Joey turned to face her, not saying anything, as he waited for her to make the first move.

"I made a decision earlier today…" she eventually whispered. Joey remained silent, sensing he shouldn't push her now. "I want to see my scars…" she breathed, "I've seen the ones on my back a little but not for a while and I haven't seen the ones on my legs at all…" She looked down at the floor for a few seconds before looking back up at his face, "I'm really scared though…" she admitted softly.

"You don't have anything to be scared of, babe… I'm right here… if you want me to be…"

"I do, Joe… I couldn't even think of doing this without you…" she told him.

"Then you just tell me what you need me to do."

She looked at him, a look of helplessness on her face. "I don't know…" she whispered.

"Do you have a mirror to look at them in?" he asked her, stepping forward and pushing some hair back from her face with his hand.

She nodded, "Inside the wardrobe door…" she told him. "It's a full length one." She added softly.

Joey leant forward and kissed her softly, before stepping away and opening her wardrobe. He stood in front of her again, his body between her and the mirror. "You don't have to do this… not if you're not ready, babe… No one is forcing you…" he said, staring into her eyes.

"It's time." She murmured. "I can't keep putting it off… and I'm never going to get better until I do this…"

"It just doesn't have to be tonight… or all at once…"

"The longer I leave it, the harder it'll get…"

"You know, you really have nothing to worry about…" he told her.

"I'm glad you think so."

"I do… I really do…"

The room fell silent and again Joey didn't push her any further. "I guess I should take my clothes off then…" she whispered.

"How about I take them off you?" He suggested softly.

Lauren bit her lip, smiling up at him shyly, "I'd really like that…" she admitted.

Joey put his hands on her upper arms, "Do you trust me?" he whispered.

"Always." She replied instantly.

Joey stepped away from her and she found she was standing in front of the mirror. She tensed, looking down at the floor. "Let's turn you round, babe…" he said, turning her so she had her back to the mirror. "You can see your reflection later…" he added and Lauren screwed her eyes shut. "If you change your mind, you just have to say… at any time… this is completely down to you, baby girl…"

"I know." She whispered. She opened her eyes, looking up at him, tears welling in her eyes as she bit her lip. "I'm so scared… I know I need to do this… I want to do this… but what if seeing them makes me bad again…?" she said, her voice shaky.

"I don't think they will…" he told her, his voice soothing to her, "but if it does… then we'll deal with it together… like we've done so far…" She nodded her head. "Your dad told me what he told you earlier today… and I wanted to tell you that I'm really proud of you too…" he told her as he slowly started to undo the buttons of her shirt. She said nothing, standing tensely in front of him as he continued his task. He stopped once it was undone and looked into her eyes. "You still okay?" he asked her. She nodded. "I need to hear you say it, babe." He breathed.

"I'm good…" she murmured.

"Are you okay with me taking this shirt off?" he checked.

She nodded but then looked at him, "Yes." She said.

He lifted his hands and slid the shirt from her shoulders, his fingers grazing her skin so tenderly. She have a vest top beneath and he knew she had a sports bra beneath that too. "I can understand why you're nervous… but you really have nothing to worry about, babe… They aren't as bad as I think you think they are…"

"That's easy for you to say…" Lauren murmured.

Joey stopped and looked at her, "Yes, it is… but you see, I've seen them at their absolute worst and what is left is so much better than that. Your scars remind me how brave you are… how much you've been through and how strong a person you are…" His hands moved down to the bottom of her vest top and he pulled it up slowly, watching her face to measure her reaction. She didn't really react at all but he could tell she was okay with him continuing. He continued to lift it slowly, the tension in her body increasing with each inch of skin he revealed. "Relax babe… You can't see them… and I've seen them before…" he told her, "and you can change your mind… whenever you want…"

"I know that… I just…" She stopped speaking as the top pulled over the top of her head, her arms falling back to her side. Lauren fidgeted slightly in front of him, lifting her arms and wrapping them around herself.

Joey dropped her vest to the floor, stepping closer to her and lifting her chin. He lowered his head, kissing her tenderly as his fingers brushed a strand of hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "There's no pressure, Lauren…" he reminded her, tugging her arms away from her body and taking a hand in each of his, squeezing them softly. He stared into her eyes as his hands released hers and then moved to bra, easing it up her body and then over her head, dropping it next to her other clothes on the floor. "No pressure at all…" he repeated.

"I know that…" she said again.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her for a second time.

"More than I've ever trusted anyone…" she breathed.

He kissed her again, "Do you know how much I love you?" he breathed. She murmured yes. He moved around her, kissing down her neck as he stood behind her, one arm wound around her waist. His other hand pushed her hair to one side, moving it aside as he continued to kiss her. She tensed when his lips pressed against the top of her back, settling on a scar at the base of her neck. "Relax," he breathed against her skin. She didn't say anything but he could feel she was still tense. He continued to kiss her back, brushing his lips over each of her scars.

She pulled away from him after a couple of minutes, turning to face him, "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"It's fine, baby…" he said, surprised she'd lasted as long as she had. She stood awkwardly in front of him, realising after a few seconds that her top half was bare and moving to cover herself. Joey chuckled, "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before, babe." He reminded her gently.

"It's different now." She murmured.

"Not that much, baby girl…"

"It feels different."

"It doesn't have to be though… We're still us… still Joey and Lauren… Loey…" he said with a smirk and Lauren screwed up her nose, shaking her head. "Jauren?" he suggested. "No, Jouren…" he said and she laughed.

"Idiot…" she said, smiling at him.

"What I'm trying to say is… We're still the same people… yes, okay, we're not exactly the same as we were when we first met, but we're essentially the same people… we still love the same things about each other that we did then… the love between us gets stronger with every hurdle we face… I want you every moment of every day, Lauren… yours scars don't change that… in some ways, it makes it even stronger… it's a reminder to me about how close I came to losing you… losing you forever…" he said. Lauren stared at him. He wondered briefly if he'd pushed her too far and then she slowly lowered her hands, pushing her leggings down her legs and kicking them across the room.

"I'm ready…" she whispered as she stood back up.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Not really but if I don't do it now, I know I never will…" she murmured. She stepped forward until her head was resting on his chest. Joey wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a few minutes to prepare herself.

"I'm going nowhere, babe… I'll be here for you, every step of the way…"

"Okay." she said. She pulled away from him, "How come it's me that's ended up virtually naked?"

"I can even the score if you'd like…?" he said.

"I think I'd like that very much." Lauren whispered.

Joey grinned, "You just want to see me naked, don't you?" he teased her as he quickly stripped his clothes off.

"What can I say, Joe? I'm a woman… and you're you… gorgeous… muscles, dimples and beauty in one perfect form."

"You know what I think about you, babe…" he said, stepping back towards her. "And see, I've gone one better than you…" he whispered, "I've gone the whole hog…"

"Show off…" she said, smiling at him as her eyes ran down his body. It was the first time they'd done this since they were first together… before… Yes, she'd seen him naked in the shower… but this was very, very different.

"Are you ready?" he breathed and she looked back up at his face, not letting her mind wander to what had happened. She needed to stop thinking of that right now. She nodded, hesitating slightly. He settled his hands on her hips and then repositioned them both so she was standing directly in front of the mirror, her back towards it. He moved her hair so it wasn't hanging down her back anymore and he stared at the image in the mirror. He had no idea how the next few minutes would go and he wasn't sure Lauren knew either. "Have a look, babe…" he murmured. She looked into his eyes, then closed them, turning her head to look at the mirror over her shoulder, her eyes still closed. He saw the moment she opened her eyes, the slight hesitation as her eyes ran over her reflection. Her breath was shaky and his thumbs brushed her hips softly, grounding her with his presence. She looked up, her eyes meeting his in the mirror. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Can you turn the light on?" she whispered.

"Are you okay with me leaving you?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm…" she said, staring at her back again.

Joey walked across the room, stretching to flick the switch of the main light on, returning to her side as quickly as he could. He watched her face, seeing the emotion on it as she looked at her scars closer. She swiped at her face, brushing away some tears so Joey leant forward and kissed the side of her head. "What are you thinking?" he breathed in her ear.

"It's not as bad as I thought… on my back anyway…" she admitted.

"And they're going to get even better, babe… the doctor said so…"

"My legs though…" she whispered, "I thought it was only my lower legs but my thighs as well…"

"That's just from the grafts and the doctor said they'll be fully healed in no time…"

"And the rest of them?" she asked, frowning as she looked at them again.

"Don't lose faith, Lauren… They look a lot better than they did, I promise you…"

"And better than losing a leg." She whispered softly.

"See, things are looking better already…" he breathed in her ear.

"It's going to take some getting used to," she said.

"That is the best I could hope for…" he said. "So how do you fancy joining me in that bed over there?" he asked her.

"Maybe…" she said. "I should put some clothes back on…"

"You don't have to." He said, "I'm not saying we'll do anything… not until you're a little more healed… not until you're ready… but I'd like to hold you in my arms… for the two of us to sleep side by side with each other… Would that be alright?" he asked her.

Lauren smiled at him, "I'd like that, Joe."

 **A/N: Lauren has just taken a pretty huge step in her recovery… and I think things between Joey and Lauren are on more stable ground. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty.**

Joey opened his eyes, his beautiful girlfriend still lying in his arms the following morning. It had been a long night for both of them… Lauren had had two nightmares during the night and Joey wasn't too surprised, given the emotional turmoil she'd faced the night before. She was still asleep now and Joey was pleased. Her dad had got up not that long ago so Joey pulled himself carefully from the bed, trying not to wake Lauren and threw on some jogging bottoms and his gown. He slipped out of the room and then jogged down the stairs and walked into the kitchen.

"Morning," Max said as Joey made himself a coffee.

"Morning."

Joey could feel his uncle staring at him but he didn't say anything until Joey sat down, "She had a bad night last night then?"

"You heard?" Joey asked.

"Hard not to when she's screaming the house down… twice…" Max said, looking at him in concern. "Is she okay?" he asked.

"Yeah… I expected it really… after last night…" Joey said.

"Last night?"

Joey looked at him, not sure what to tell him but eventually deciding that honesty was the best policy. "She looked at her scars for the first time…" he explained.

"How did it go?"

"Better than I thought it would… there wasn't any meltdown… she got a little upset but it wasn't too bad… I knew she'd have a rough night though." He told him. "She's still asleep now so I thought I'd leave her there…" He looked at his uncle, "Would it be okay if I was here today… rather than at the car lot?" he asked, "I just think Lauren would be better if she wasn't alone today… I don't want her to dwell on things…"

"Of course… There's not much on anyway…"

"There was something else as well…" Joey said and he spent the next few minutes telling his uncle his tentative plans.

*JL*JL*

Joey pushed open the bedroom door, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at his girlfriend. She was still sleeping soundly. He stood and stripped once more, sliding back into the bed, a small distance from where Lauren lay. He lay watching her for a while, his eyes taking in everything he could see. Despite the stress of the last months he had no regrets about having Lauren back in his life… he had missed her terribly after he'd gone back home but now she was back in his life and he wasn't going to waste another day. He thought back to the previous evening and once more he filled with pride and love for her. His hand lifted and he pushed her hair out of the way, leaning forward and kissing the base of her neck tenderly. Like he had the night before he started to kiss all over back and shoulders, aware of the moment she woke up. He thought she'd stop what he was doing but she didn't, she lay there and let him keep kissing her scars. "Morning baby…" he whispered against her skin.

"Morning…" she breathed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I've hardly slept…" she admitted.

"We can stay here all day… if you want…" he told her, kissing up the centre of her back and then shifting behind her, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"Don't you need to get to work?" she asked, turning her head to look at him, "What time is it anyway?"

"Almost ten… and your dad gave me the day off…"

"Time off?" she asked, frowning as she looked at him.

"I didn't want you to be on your own today… not after last night…"

"I'd have been fine, Joe…" she protested and Joey stared at her, "I have to admit it's good to have you here though." She admitted. She rolled over to face him, her hands resting on his chest. "Last night was tough… more difficult than I thought it would be…"

"I know, babe…" he murmured. "I've been thinking…"

"Isn't that dangerous?" she teased him, trying to hide the fear on her face.

"Ha ha…" he said, "I'm being serious… I thought maybe the pair of us could get out of Walford for a while…"

"Out of Walford… where?" she asked, "Do you remember the last time we tried to leave Walford together...?"

"Yes, I do… and this time is totally different… Firstly we'll be going on a train… we won't be sneaking out in the middle of the night in secret because I've spoken to your dad about it… and anyway I thought a change of scenery might do you some good…"

"Where would we go?" Lauren murmured.

"We could go and see your mum and Oscar?" Joey said, "I know you've been missing them and I'm sure they'd both love to see you… You haven't seen them since Christmas, have you?"

"Do you think we could?" she asked, her eyes shining as she looked up at him.

"Your dad thinks it's a good idea… he said we could go for as long as we wanted…"

"He's that keen to get a good night's sleep, he doesn't care how long we're gone?" She said with a smirk, knowing her screaming would've woken him the night before.

"You know he just wants whatever is best for you, babe… we both do…" He said and her face glowed. "So what do you think?"

"I think I need to call my mum and see if she's up for some visitors…" she said.

*JL*JL*

Lauren's call went well and within a couple of hours it was agreed that Lauren and Joey would go down to them a couple of days later. Their trip seemed to buoy Lauren's spirits a great deal for a couple of hours… until she started to pack their bags. She'd been upstairs for about an hour, much longer than Joey had expected so he went looking for her. He frowned when he saw her sitting on the edge of their bed, her face in her hands as she cried. Joey moved to her quickly, kneeling on the floor before her and hugging her against his body, wondering what had caused the meltdown. "Talk to me, babe…" he breathed.

"What am I supposed to take with me?" she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Clothes…" she said, "I just looked at all the summer clothes I have… I can't wear any of them, can I?" she told him.

"Of course you can."

"No, I can't… people will stare…"

"Then let them, babe…"

"I can't anyway, Joe… I need to protect my skin from getting sunburnt…" she said.

"Okay, well, let's look at what you have… see what we can make work…" Joey suggested.

"None of it works, Joey… that's what I just said…" she said, anguish in her voice.

"What's the problem?"

Lauren turned her head, finding her dad in the doorway, looking at her in concern. "All my clothes are useless…" she said, starting to get upset again at their complete lack of understanding.

Max stared at his nephew and daughter, seeing how upset she was and he moved further into the room, sitting on the bed next to Lauren. "What about them is wrong?" he asked her gently.

"People will see the scars, dad… I'll frighten young children…"

"At least the beach would be quiet…" Joey said with a smirk but he got a scowl from his girlfriend. "Sorry," he quickly apologised.

"Why don't the three of us sort through the clothes you've got and sort them into a pile of things you will be able to wear and ones you won't…"

"I can't wear any of them." Lauren stated quickly.

"Of course you can, Lauren…" Max said. He looked around the floor, seeing several items on the floor, "See… that skirt there… you can still wear that…"

"But my legs…"

"Let me finish, babe…" Max interrupted, much like she had, "You can still wear it but you could either wear leggings underneath it… or tights…" he said. "That blouse there… you could wear that… just with a jacket or something on top. Not everything is rubbish, babe…" he said, "you just need to work with what you've got to get it to work for you… Then when your scars have healed even more, you might find you'll be comfortable enough to wear some of these things without the additions." He cajoled her.

"I guess…"

"So how about it?" Max said. Lauren nodded and the three of them spent the next hour going through all of Lauren's clothes and sorting them into three piles – things she would wear now, things she would never wear and things she might wear in the future. Even Max had to admit that the pile of things she would never wear was quite large in comparison to the other piles. "Okay… Well let's hang the future pile in Oscar's wardrobe, shall we?" he said once they were done.

"What about Joey's clothes?" Lauren asked, as his clothes were all currently in Oscar's room.

"Maybe it's time he brought them in here… seeing as how he's in the room with you now…" Max said.

"Are you sure?" Lauren whispered.

"Yes, babe…" Max replied, "Then we hang up the things you're keeping in your wardrobe… and bag up the ones you aren't… I can take them to the charity shop once you've gone down to your mum's…" he said.

"Okay…" Lauren said.

Max reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, removing his credit card and holding it out towards her, "And you and Joey should go shopping tomorrow… buy you some things to replace what we've thrown out… But don't go mad, okay?" he said.

Lauren launched herself at him, hugging him tightly, "Thanks dad." She whispered.

"I meant what I said yesterday, Lauren…" he said. Max kissed her forehead and then stood and walked out of the room, "Shall we go to the Vic for dinner?" he asked as he started to leave the room.

"Sure," Joey said, looking at Lauren to see how she felt about his suggestion.

"Okay." Lauren agreed hesitantly. Max left them alone and disappeared downstairs.

"You okay?" Joey asked and Lauren nodded her head in reply. "How about we start putting all these clothes away then?" he said, "And anything you want to take away with you, we can put in the case…"

An hour later they'd hung Lauren and Joey's clothes into her wardrobe (and cupboards) and had put the future clothes in Oscar's room. Joey went downstairs and grabbed a couple of dustbin bags, bringing them back upstairs so they could put the unneeded clothes in bags. Lauren stood at the edge of the room as Joey piled the bags up near the wardrobe. "It seems a waste…" she murmured.

"You could always try and sell them online… maybe we could try and set it up before we leave…?"

"We could… but then it'll get messy if I have to post it all off while we're away… or dad would have to do it…"

"We could get it ready and then put it all online when we get back?"

"Okay… we can tell dad over dinner…" she said.

"Talking of… we should go downstairs…" he said. He held his hand out towards her and she slipped her hand in his, "You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah… I am…"

 **A/N: So Lauren and Joey are going down to see Tanya and Oscar… What, you didn't think I'd do a story without Oscar being in it, did you? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty One.**

Joey and Lauren walked down the road hand in hand, trailing behind Max as they headed towards the pub. Max held the door open for them and they walked inside, the pub falling quiet as they did so. "Go and grab a table… what do you want to eat and drink?" Max asked.

"Just a burger and a beer for me…" Joey said.

"Diet coke and a burger please, dad…" Lauren said, "One of the flame grilled ones…" she added with a small smirk and Joey laughed. They made their way over to a table in the corner of the bar and sat down, Joey putting his arm around Lauren's shoulders.

"Did you see your dad's face when you said that?" he whispered in her ear, "I don't know if he wanted to laugh or cry…"

"I know," Lauren said, "I'll apologise to him when he gets over here…"

"You don't need to, babe… It was a joke… It's nice to hear you be able to make jokes about it…" he told her.

"I haven't had a lot to laugh about really, have I?" she said, resting her head on his shoulder, "None of us have…"

"Things will get better now, babe…" he breathed, kissing her forehead softly.

Lauren closed her eyes, aware of people staring at her and Joey. She wasn't sure if it was her they were staring at or if it was her and Joey being together but whatever it was, she was finding it uncomfortable. Joey must have sensed it because he tightened his arm around her shoulders and placed his other hand over the top of hers as it rested on her thigh.

The door to the pub opened and a squeal filled the air, causing Lauren to open her eyes. She saw Whitney looking at her and then heading towards her. "Lauren…" she said excitedly. Lauren wanted to pull away from her as she sat at the table next to her but didn't. "It's been so long since I've seen you…" she said as she reached towards Lauren for a hug.

"Gently, Whit…" Joey said softly and she looked at him, frowning but saying nothing.

Whitney hugged Lauren and Lauren bit her lip, as her emotions climbed. "How are you now?" She asked softly.

"I'm getting there, Whit." Lauren said.

"Can I get either of you a drink?" Lee asked.

"No, we're fine… Max is ordering us a drink and some food…" Joey said.

"Oh, we'll leave the three of you alone then…" Whitney said.

"Don't be silly… you should join us…" Lauren said, "The three of us will start driving each other insane soon…" she added with a smile. "It's just been the three of us for weeks…"

Whitney smiled and then turned to Lee and asked him to order her a lasagne and salad. He nodded and went to join Lauren's dad at the bar. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you earlier, babe… I wasn't sure you were up to visitors…" she said.

"I wasn't really… Yesterday was the first time I've been out since I got home… apart from going to the counsellor or the hospital."

"Linda mentioned that you came over and saw Nancy earlier," Whitney said, a hurt look on her face.

"She'd offered to speak to me after Joey saw her and Tam… we talked about how she felt when she saw Tam's scars…" Lauren said softly and a look of understanding crossed her friend's face.

"Once you're ready, we could go out one evening…?" Whitney suggested.

"Joe and I are going down to mum's for a while the day after tomorrow…" Lauren said.

"Oh that'll be nice… how long are you going for?"

Lauren shrugged, "We've not really talked about that yet… I don't know… I'll call you and let you know…" she said.

"Okay…" Whitney said, her disappointment increasing.

"Sorry, Whit… it's been a long time since I've seen mum… and I wasn't at my best the last time I did… and it's been even longer with Oscar…" Lauren said, "Joey suggested a change of scene might be good for me… get away from the reminders of what happened… the ones I can get away from anyway…" Joey squeezed her hand as she finished speaking.

"I understand, Lauren…" Whitney said but Lauren wasn't sure she did… not really.

They were saved from any more painful conversation with the return of Max and Lee, glasses in their hands which were placed in front of each person before they sat down. "It's alright if Whit and Lee join us, right, dad?" Lauren asked.

"Of course, babe… Just a reminder for you all to keep down the PDA's in front of the old man… if you can possibly try…" he said, sipping from his beer. Lauren smirked and purposefully leant over, kissing Joey on the mouth. Joey wound his arm around her waist in a half hug as she pulled away from him, both of them seeing Max shake his head in amusement. It was good to see the lighter side of Lauren re-join them. It had been a while since any of them had seen it.

The four of them talked as Max watched them, sipping on his drink. He was mainly watching Lauren, seeing the life start to ebb back into her. For the first time since the fire he felt like he had his daughter back. He was sad that the two of them were leaving Walford and going down to stay with his ex-wife and son but he knew it was the best thing for Lauren… and hopefully they would be home again soon because he was going to miss her a great deal. Both her and Joey… and that was something he'd never thought he'd admit. He'd got used to having Joey there though… and welcomed his help at the car lot, hence the change of company name that he'd recently made. He finished his pint and got up to get another round, walking over to the bar, leaving the four youngsters talking.

"What can I get ya?" Mick asked.

"Three pints, a white wine and a diet coke, mate…"

"Lauren's looking good, Max… and your nephew too… better than the last couple of times I saw him…"

"It's been a difficult time for all of us…" Max admitted, "And yes, Lauren is much better… The two of them are actually going down to Tan's in a couple of days… spend some time down there."

"I'm sure that'll be great for Lauren… a bit of fresh air… She's in Exeter, right?" Mick said as he got the drinks for his customer.

"Yeah… Tanya's just moved down to Devon… met a new man apparently." Max said.

Mick looked at the bald man in front of him, seeing the pain on his face. "You still love her, don't ya?" he asked.

"Since the day I met her… I'm just not a very good husband… most of the time…" he said with a rueful smile, knowing that the boat had fully sailed when it came to his ex-wife. "I just need to focus on things with the kids now… make sure I don't screw my relationships with them quite as much as I did with Tan…"

Mick glanced at Lauren and Joey, seeing the smile on Max's daughter's face, "Seems like you're doing okay with Lauren?" he said, nodding his head towards her.

Max turned and looked at the table, quickly looking back at the barman when they kissed. Mick chuckled when he saw Max's face. "It's difficult seeing them fall in love with someone else, ain't it? Knowing that you're not the most important man in their life anymore…" he said, "I have the same problem with Nance…"

"They've just gone through so much to get where they are now… I want her to be happy… and sometimes I worry that he isn't right for her…"

"Because he's your nephew?" Mick asked gently.

"No… because of who he used to be… the person he was… He was just like me… couldn't settle down with one woman… a bit of a love 'em and leave 'em type…" Max admitted. "You know what they say about girls… always looking for someone just like their father… That's not what I want for her… She deserves better than someone like me…"

"I don't think that'll be an issue, Max… I heard him when he was talking to Nancy and Tamwar… The whole pub heard him… they heard the passion in his voice when he spoke about Lauren… There is no doubt in my mind that she is everything to him. I don't think you need to worry, mate…"

"You're probably right," Max said, "How much do I owe you?" Mick ran up the drinks and Max paid him the money.

"Your food should be out in a few minutes, Max." Mick said as he gave him the change.

"Thanks." Max said. He picked up the tray of drinks and carried it back over to the table, placing the glasses in front of each person and then sitting back down. Their food was brought out by Nancy about ten minutes later.

"Hi Nancy." Lauren said, smiling at her new friend.

"Lauren…" she said, concentration on her face as she placed three of the plates on the table. She smiled at the brunette, punching her brother's arm once her hands were free, "How come you've managed to get out of helping?" she asked.

"I'm on a date, ain't I?" Lee said.

"Yeah, well, so was I supposed to be… until Tina called and said she couldn't do her shift… because she's going on a date…" Nancy sighed, "It's so unfair… I'm the girl, so I have to help out… you, you big lump, gets to go out on dates…"

Lauren giggled and bit her lip when Nancy looked at her. "Sorry Nance… but you're throwing a bit of a tantrum…" She glanced at Joey, "Some would say you're being a bit of a drama queen…" Her dad was drinking from his pint as she said that and she heard him cough, choking on it slightly. Whitney and Joey were laughing too and she looked around at them, indignation on her face, "What's so funny?"

Joey put his arm around her, kissing the side of her head, "You are, babe… You are…" he said softly, "Now eat your food…"

"I'll be back with the rest of your meals in a second…" Nancy said.

"Well, before my dinner gets here, I'm gonna go to the ladies…" Whitney said. She got up and walked away.

Nancy returned and put the remainder of the plates on the table, glancing at the bar and then sitting down next to Lauren quickly. "Dad says you're going away in a couple of days…" Nancy said softly to Lauren.

"Yeah, we're going to my mum's for a while…" Lauren said.

"If you ever need to talk… to someone… you can call me…" Nancy offered. "I should give you my mobile number." She said.

"That would be really great, Nance…" Lauren said. She pulled out her mobile phone and passed it to the blonde after unlocking the screen. Nancy typed in her number and name, passing the phone back to Lauren once she was done. "Thanks Nance…" she said. "And thanks again for yesterday."

"What are friends for, eh?" Nancy said, getting up as Whitney walked back over.

Whitney sat back down, looking at Lauren, "You okay?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah," Lauren said, "Just catching up with Nancy…"

"Okay."

Lauren was pretty sure that Whitney seemed a little jealous but she really didn't have any reason to be. She looked at Joey and he smiled at her, somehow managing to make her feel much better with a simple act. She continued to eat her dinner, surrounded by friends and the two most important men in her life.

 **A/N: Lauren is beginning to integrate herself back into her previous life again but they're still going away. I really like the conversation between Max and Mick… about Max not wanting Lauren to end up with someone like him. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty Two.**

Joey walked into the lounge, sitting on the sofa beside her. Lauren looked at the laptop on his lap, "What's that for?" she said.

"I thought we could look online…"

"At what?"

"Clothes… get an idea of the sort of thing you're after tomorrow… see if there's anything you particularly like so we can get it…"

"You'd do that?" Lauren whispered.

"Of course I would… I love you, Lauren… when is that going to sink in?" he said, turning on the laptop and waiting for it to boot up.

"I do know, Joe…" Lauren said softly, leaning her head against Joey's shoulder. They started browsing the internet, looking at various clothing websites. Joey was pleased to see that there were several options Lauren could get. Fortunately long flowy skirts were in fashion and he could feel Lauren relaxing more the longer they looked.

"You feeling a bit more positive now?" he asked her softly after more than an hour.

"Yeah." Lauren breathed, a small smile on her face.

Joey turned his head and leaned forward, kissing her softly, "Good…" he breathed against her lips. He pulled away from her, seeing something on her face, "What?" he asked.

"It's nothing…"

"Babe…?" She bit her lip, her eyes locked on her hand that was currently playing with a seam on his shirt. "Talk to me, Lauren?" he murmured.

"What if he's scared of me…" she whispered.

"Who?"

"Oscar." Lauren said softly. She looked up at him, "I don't want him to be afraid to come near me…"

"Babe, you're his big sister and he idolises you… You really think he's going to be scared of you?"

"He might…" she breathed.

"Have you been worrying about this long?" Joey asked her.

She shrugged, "A little while." She admitted.

"Babe, Oscar loves you… more than pretty much any other person…" he told her, "Yes, okay, he may be a little hesitant when we first get there… the last time he was here, he couldn't see you and you were pretty sick in hospital. He wasn't allowed to see you because you were too poorly and he knew that everyone was very worried about you. He gave you his bear, didn't he?" Lauren nodded, "He'll be okay as soon as he sees you're better…"

"What about if he sees my scars?" she said.

"We'll just have to explain to him about them… then maybe you could show them to him and they won't be as scary because he'll be ready to see them… You might find your mum has told him about them… We can play it by ear, babe… He'll be fine though, I promise…"

"I hope so…"

*JL*JL*

Lauren had another restless night, waking screaming once from a nightmare. Joey was there for her and he rocked her gently in his arms as she cried against his chest. About thirty minutes after she'd woken them both up she had calmed but was still awake. "I can't sleep…" she said.

"How about a hot chocolate?" he suggested.

"I'd really like that."

"Want to come downstairs with me while I make them?" he asked. Lauren nodded her head and they both climbed out of the bed. Joey threw on some jogging pants and then grabbed his dressing gown and helped her put it on, tying the belt around the waist as he kissed her softly on the lips. He took her hand in his and then they left the room and headed down to the kitchen. He put the kettle on and got out two mugs as Lauren sat down, her arms wound around her body. He put the drink in front of her once it was ready, sitting on the chair next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really…" she said, sipping her mug tentatively. Joey said nothing but she knew he was disappointed in her not sharing with him… confiding in him. She sighed, "We were at mum's and Oscar saw my scars… he just walked in and saw them… and he kept screaming… I tried to hug him but he ran away from me… ran downstairs to find mum. He wouldn't come anywhere near me and every time he saw me he'd start to cry… He called me a monster… Mum asked us to leave…" she told him softly.

"Oscar would never be like that, babe…" Joey consoled her. "And neither would your mum…"

"I guess…" she said, not willing to start the conversation they'd had earlier again.

Joey knew he wasn't going to get any further with her. He made a decision to ask Max to call Tanya the next day and speak to her… sound out how they thought Oscar would react… After they'd finished their drinks they went back up to their room but Lauren put on a T-shirt and her leggings before climbing back into bed which upset Joey more than he'd thought it would.

 **A/N: Poor Lauren… she's really worried about how Oscar is going to react when he sees her. How do you think Oscar will be? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty Three.**

"Are you ready, babe?" Joey said the next morning as he walked into the bedroom. He stopped when he saw Lauren sitting on the bed. "What's wrong?"

"I can't go…"

"Why not?" Joey asked, moving to the bed and sitting on it next to her.

"I know you're going to make me try the clothes on… I don't want people staring at me…"

"They won't be staring at you, babe… You'll be in a changing room… No one will see… other than me…"

"You only get to see if I like it…"

Joey reached for her hand, "No, babe," he said, squeezing her hand, "I get to see each outfit..." She started shaking her head, getting visibly upset. He pulled her into his arms carefully as he tugged her across the mattress. "Lauren, I know this is difficult for you… believe me, I do… but I also know that if I leave it down to you to choose the clothes, you won't get anything… so I'm going to veto everything… I promise I will be honest and will tell you the truth if your scars are visible…" he said, "However, I think you should get some clothes that show your scars a little… so that you have them for later, once they've healed a little more… Like your dad said, you can just layer your clothes in the meantime, so you're comfortable…" She didn't say anything, "So are you ready for our trip now?" he asked her.

"I guess…" she whispered.

They both got up and Lauren slowly continued to get ready as Joey watched. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist, lowering his head and kissing the base of her neck. "You ready now?" he whispered.

"Yeah." She said. They walked downstairs together and then out of the house. Joey was borrowing Max's car again and soon they were heading out of the square. Lauren was very aware, once again, of Peter watching her as they drove past. She avoiding his gaze but she knew that time was running short on avoiding him much longer, she knew it.

It wasn't long before they were parking the car at a shopping centre and then they were walking towards the shops. Joey guided her towards the first shop that they'd looked at online the night before. Joey could tell that Lauren was still reluctant so he walked around the store and grabbed some of the items that they'd seen on the website. He took her hand and then pulled her gently towards the changing room, clothes laid over his arm. He started to head into the changing area but was stopped by a member of staff.

"I'm sorry, sir… but you can't come in here…" she said, stopping them both in their wake.

Joey turned to Lauren, passing her the clothes he'd picked up, "Go ahead, babe… I'll be through shortly…" he told her softly. She took the clothes and moved to a cubicle near the entrance, moving inside and yanking the curtain shut quickly. Joey turned to the assistant, "Is there any way I can go in there?" he asked, pulling himself upright so he seemed a little more imposing. He also flashed a dimple laden smile at her, hoping it would work for him.

"I'm sorry, sir… but its women only…"

"Look…" he said, glancing at the name tag the young girl was wearing, "Diane… it's like this… I can either go in there and my girlfriend and I will spend a large sum of money… whereas if I don't go in there, I can guarantee we won't be buying anything…"

"It's not allowed…" she said.

"Can I speak to the manager?" he asked, deciding not to waste any time.

"I'll go and get her…" she said, "but she's unlikely to say anything different…" She walked off and a couple of minutes later an elder woman walked over.

"I'm very sorry but there is simply no way that you can go into the changing room with your girlfriend," she said, "We're a reputable establishment and it's just not right… our customer's deserve some privacy…"

"Can I be honest with you?" Joey said, "My girlfriend was injured in a fire just over eight months ago which has left her with some scars. She's struggling with her appearance and I know that if it's down to her, she just won't buy any of the clothes she's just taken in there… I know I can convince her to buy them if I'm in there. She's in the cubicle, just over there… near the entrance and if I stand at the edge there near the wall, I won't be able to see into any of the other cubicles… And I'll remain outside of it, just peeking my head through the curtain…" He saw a flicker of empathy on the woman's face, "I know it's out of the norm to ask… but I'd be really grateful if you could bend the rules for her… It took me twenty minutes to convince her to go shopping this morning… never mind the time yesterday, when her dad and I tried to give her some self-confidence…" he trailed off, not sure he'd managed to charm her or persuade her. He waited for her to say something and he could see her looking around the rest of the changing room and then the store.

"Okay, just this once I will let you in… given the exceptional circumstances and due to the fact that the rest of the changing rooms are empty and the store is quiet…"

"Thank you… thank you…" Joey said, smiling at her brightly. He turned and started to walk towards the dressing room that Lauren was currently in.

"No funny business…" she called after him and he chuckled.

He stuck his head into the cubicle, frowning when he saw Lauren standing, the clothes still in her arms. "Come on, babe… try something on…" he encouraged her.

Lauren turned her eyes towards him, a deep frown on her face, "You told her…" she hissed.

"I had to, babe… or she wasn't going to let me in here…" he said.

Lauren threw the pile of clothes onto a bench and turned her back to him. "I can't believe you told her…" she said and Joey could hear the tears in her voice.

"Babe…" he said softly, reaching his arm inside and taking her hand in his, squeezing it gently, "I didn't tell her much… just that you were injured in a fire… I'm sorry… I just want to be able to help you like I promised I would…" he said gently, his thumb brushing the back of her hand. She pulled her hand free, grabbing a dress and taking it off the hanger in silence. "Do you forgive me?" he asked softly. Lauren looked at him, seeing the regret on his face. She knew he'd only had the best of intentions but she also was devastated at the ease with which he'd told that complete stranger about something so personal to her. "Please baby girl…" he pleaded. "Tell me you forgive me…" he whispered.

She bit her lip, seeing previously unheard of tears in Joey's eyes. She could see he was truly sorry for what he'd done. She stepped closer to him and kissed him softly, "I forgive you… but please, Joe… don't tell anyone else…" she told him.

"Try the dress on, baby… that's my favourite one that we saw last night… and I think it'll look amazing on you…" he encouraged.

Lauren shook her head and then turned towards him, pushing his chest so he was out of the cubicle and then she shut the curtain firmly. She avoided looking in the mirror as she removed her clothes until she was in her underwear and vest top. She caught her reflection as she lifted the dress above her head and she quickly shut her eyes.

*JL*JL*

The curtain twitched and then Lauren stuck her head out of it, "I'm wearing it…" she said.

Joey could see the stress on her face, "And what do you think?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, Joe… It covers my legs… but my back…"

"Let me see…" he said.

Lauren stepped backwards, disappearing once more into the dressing room. Joey poked his head back through the curtain, his eyes running up and down her length as she stood before him, "What do you think?" she asked, turning his own question back on him.

"You look stunning, baby girl… like a million dollars…" he told her.

"Liar…" she said.

"I'm not lying, Lauren… the dress looks great… it clings to your frame in all the right places… showing it off but also leaving you guessing as to what's underneath…"

"But you can see my scars at the top…" she whispered.

"Babe, those scars will barely be visible soon… For the time being if you're uncomfortable you can wear something over the top of it so no one can see the scars…" he reassured her.

"I don't know, Joe…" she whispered, staring at her reflection.

"Please, babe… trust me… It looks amazing on you… you look so beautiful…" he told her.

She looked at him, nodding her head once. "Out…" she said and he disappeared out of the cubicle, a small smile on his face.

*JL*JL*

Almost an hour later Joey and Lauren walked out of the shop, one very large shopping bag in Joey's hand as he held Lauren's hand in his other one. "Next shop, babe…" he said.

"Isn't that enough?" she said.

"Have I managed to find the only woman in the world who doesn't like clothes shopping for herself?" he asked, a smirk on his face.

"Haha…" she snarked.

"Babe… just roll with it, okay…" He said, "Your dad gave me an amount to spend… minimum… today… and we haven't reached it yet…" he admitted.

"How much?" she asked.

"I'm not telling you… Let's go to TKMaxx and see what we can pick up there, okay?"

"Okay…" she said with a sigh.

 **A/N: Something tells me that Lauren isn't enjoying her shopping trip… but Joey is a determined man and he isn't going to let her get out of it. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**

 **By the way, I've also updated my profile on the site... you might want to take a look... :-) xx**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty Four.**

A few hundred pounds later Joey and Lauren made their way back to the car. Joey was laden down with carrier bags full of clothes which he wouldn't let Lauren carry any of. Lauren had been quiet ever since they'd left the first store and although she'd said she'd forgiven him, Joey knew she was still stewing on it and no doubt he would hear more about it when they got home. They got back to the house and Lauren quickly climbed out of the car, rushing up the stairs and into the house. Joey sat in the car, staring at the front door as she disappeared inside. "Fuck!" he murmured. He sat there for a while, deep in thought, wondering if there was a way for him to get himself out of the mess he was in. "Fuck…" he breathed again.

A knock on the window startled him. He looked out of the window, seeing his uncle looking at him through the window, a grin on his face. Joey opened the door and Max pulled it open, "What have you done now?"

"Screwed up." Joey admitted as he shut the front door and walked around to the boot of the car.

"How?" Max asked, the grin falling from his face.

Joey sighed, turning to his uncle instead of opening the car. "It was in the first shop… We'd found some clothes and were going to the changing rooms so Lauren could try them on. They wouldn't let me in there with her because I'm a man… so I asked to speak to the manager. She came over and I told her the reason why I wanted to be in there… that if I didn't go in there and encourage Lauren, they would never get any sales… I'm not sure it was working though…" he said absently.

"Your charm not working on a woman, Joey? Are you sure you're a Branning?" Max teased.

Joey looked at him, a deep frown on his face and he opened the boot, grabbing some of the bags, "If you don't want to hear…" he said, his patience already having been tested by the day.

"Sorry, Joey…" Max said, "I'm listening…" he added, grabbing his arm to stop him from going into the house.

"I told the manager about Lauren's burns… explained how she's conscious of the way she looked and she needed me there… that I'd promised I'd be there with her. The manager gave in and let me into the changing room with Lauren." Joey watched as Max grabbed the rest of the bags from the boot and slammed it shut. "Lauren heard me tell her… was fucking angry about it too… I tried to explain to her why I did it and she said she understood and had forgiven me but she's been off with me ever since then… Then when we got back here, she just got out of the car and went into the house…"

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

"I'm not sure it'll do any good to be honest…" Joey said.

"Why don't you go and see your mum and Alice for the evening?" Max said, "I'll speak to Lauren… when you get home, I promise it'll all be sorted…"

"I guess I could do that… I haven't seen my mum for a while and I might not see her again for a while when we go down to Auntie Tanya's." he said. He looked at his uncle, "Are you sure you'll be fine with Lauren?" he asked.

Max smiled, "I think I can handle my daughter…" he said, "Go… see your mum…" he said. He took the bags from his nephew, "Take the car… We'll see you later…" he told him.

"Tell Lauren she can call me if she wants to…" Joey said, not sure how she would take his absence.

"I will." Max said. Joey got back into the car and started the engine. Max watched as he drove away and then he turned to the house and carried the shopping inside. Lauren appeared in the kitchen doorway as he shut the front door.

"Where's Joey?" she asked softly.

"He's gone to his mum's." Max said, walking into the lounge and putting the bags of clothes on the dining room table. He heard Lauren walk quietly into the room.

"Why?" she asked softly.

Max looked at her, seeing the fear on her face and knowing what she was thinking. "He's just gone for the evening, babe… just to see his mum and sister… He said you could call him if you wanted to…" Lauren pulled her mobile phone out of her handbag, staring at it intensely. "Joey told me what happened at the shops earlier…" Max said, watching her carefully to see how she'd react to his statement. She lifted her head, looking at him. "He thinks you're angry with him… so I suggested he went to his mum's for the evening… give you some space…"

"Is he coming back?" she whispered, glancing down at her phone again.

"Yes, babe…" Max reassured her.

"Are you sure?" she asked quickly, doubt written across her face.

"Call him and ask him…" He said.

"I can't… he'll be driving…" she said.

"How about the two of us talk then…? While you wait for him to get to his mum's…"

"There's nothing to talk about…" she said.

"Yes, there is… Joey said you were quiet with him all day after the first shop…"

Lauren spun round and sat down on the sofa heavily, "Ow…" she murmured, regretting her move immediately as she pulled the skin on the back of her legs.

"Careful, babe…" Max said as he walked over and sat beside her on the sofa. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest, "Tell me what's going on inside that head of yours…" he said softly, kissing the top of her head.

"He shouldn't have told her dad… How could he do that to me…?" she said, anger in her voice despite all the time since their disagreement.

"Do you know what I'm sure he was thinking?" Max asked and Lauren shook her head. "I don't think he was thinking about the fact he was revealing it to her… he was focused on the fact he'd promised you he would be there…"

"But he told her…?" Lauren said, clearly not able to get past that fact.

"So what, babe…?" Max said and Lauren tensed in his arms. "I mean it… I'm not trying to dismiss how you're feeling, really I'm not… but this was a woman you're unlikely to meet ever again… So what if she knows…? Telling her got Joey what he needed… what he'd promised… to be there for you when you needed him…"

"She looked at me funnily when we walked out to the tills…" Lauren said.

"Funny how?" he asked.

"With pity… I don't want her pity…"

"Babe, why wouldn't she feel sorry for you? After what Joey told her, I'd be surprised if she didn't feel sorry for you… for anybody who's been through what you have…"

"But…" Lauren said, pulling away from him.

Max reached for her, cupping her face in the palms of his hands, "Lauren, Joey's sole focus in any situation is how he can help you… Do you realise how hard the last months have been for him? How painful it's been for him… for all of us… to see you in the pain you've been in and not be able to do anything to help you… to comfort you. Joey has been there through all of it… more than any of the rest of us… I know the both of us have wished on many occasions that it was us who was lying in that bed… that we could take your pain for you… So today… yes, he probably made a mistake telling that woman… one I'm sure he won't make again… but he did it for the best of reasons… He was thinking about your needs… that you needed him…" Lauren stared at his face, blinking a couple of times.

"Why do I keep doing this, dad?" she whispered.

"Doing what?" he asked, knowing full well what she was asking but wanting her to say it.

"Hurting him… I love him so much… I couldn't have got through any of this without him… He came running as soon as you called him and he's been here every moment since… but I keep pushing him away… And I don't know why…"

"I don't either, babe… but I know you are hurting him… Maybe you should take the time this evening to think about it…"

"I will…" Lauren murmured. She leant forward and hugged her dad tightly, kissing his cheek as she pulled away from him again. "Thanks daddy…" she said, getting slowly to her feet, "And thank you for the money for all those clothes…"

"I'll bring them upstairs for you in a little bit…" he said.

"I can take them." Lauren said.

"I'll do it, babe…" Max said, reaching for her hand and squeezing it to stop her from walking over to the table.

Lauren nodded and then left the room, heading up to the bedroom she shared with Joey. Her phone beeped and she unlocked it quickly, _'I'm sorry'_ it said. Her heart lurched… what did that mean? It started to race as panic set in and before she could think about it she was dialling his number. He answered after the second ring.

"Babe…"

"What does that mean?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry about this morning… I didn't mean to tell her…"

"I know, Joe…" Lauren murmured. Neither of them said anything for a while. Lauren finally voiced the question that needed an answer to, "You're coming back here, aren't you?" she asked softly.

Joey didn't answer right away which worried Lauren immensely. "Do you want me to?"

"Of course I do." Lauren said quickly. More silence. "So are you?"

"I'll be back later…" he said.

Lauren relaxed, "I'm sorry too, Joe… sorry for being a bitch…"

"I made a mistake…" he admitted.

"For the right reasons, Joe." She whispered.

"I'd better go… dinner's nearly ready…" Joey said. "See you later, babe…"

"Bye Joe…" she breathed. "Love you…" she murmured although the phone was now dead. She lay down on the bed, grabbing a hoodie of Joey's that was lying on his side of the bed and pulling it into her arms, hugging it tightly. She curled up into a ball, burying her nose in the soft material and breathing in his scent. A tear ran down her face, a small piece of her still doubting what he'd said. Would there ever come a time when she'd believe him automatically?

 **A/N: Oh dear… Is there any coming back from this? Does Joey realise how much he's hurt Lauren… I think, at last, that Lauren has realised how much she's hurting Joey… Can this be fixed? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty Five.**

Lauren opened her eyes and saw it was dark outside. She turned her head, managing to tell in the dark that the other side of the bed was empty. Her heart sank and she frowned. He'd promised he'd be back… and yet he wasn't. Had he been lying all along… or had something happened to him as he was driving back. The bed was a lonely place without him being there so she sat up and then stood up and walked across the room. She walked out of the room and started down the stairs, wanting to check and see if he was downstairs.

*JL*JL*

Joey opened the front door quietly. There was a light on in the hallway, a lamp on the table that lit the room dimly. He stopped once he turned from the door, after shutting it quietly, stopping when he saw Lauren sitting a few stairs from the top, watching him carefully. "Why aren't you asleep, babe?" he said softly as he took off his coat and hung it up.

"I was waiting for you to come home…" she said.

"It's late, babe…" Joey said.

"I know…" she whispered. Joey moved to the bottom of the stairs and looked up at her, seeing the expression on her face much better. "I thought you'd changed your mind…" she breathed, looking down at her hands that were clutched on her lap.

"I told you I was coming back…" he said, frowning at her.

"That was hours ago, Joe… and I didn't think you'd be so late…"

Joey walked up the stairs, sitting on the stair next to her, his arm around her shoulders as he hugged her against him. "I was supposed to be coming back hours ago… I was just about to leave the house and then Al came home…" he explained. "She was upset… she'd been out with some friends and they'd got into a fight… a physical one… She was bleeding, babe… one of her allegedly best friends slapped her around the face and she got knocked against a wall…"

"Is she okay?"

"She will be… but I had to help mum calm her down…"

"What were they fighting about?"

"What happened with Janine and Michael… it's one of the first times Al's seen her friends since she got out of prison… it's taken me and mum this long to convince her that she doesn't have to hide away from everyone… that she's got nothing to be ashamed of. She didn't do anything wrong…"

"But she's been out of prison for over a year…?" Lauren said.

"She basically swapped one prison for another… except this one is self-imposed…" he said, wondering if she would see the similarities between his sister and herself.

"Is she okay now?" Lauren asked and Joey wasn't sure if she had or hadn't.

"She will be… she'd cried herself to sleep by the time I left… and mum and I mopped up the blood. She didn't need to go to hospital…"

"You should've stayed there, Joe…" Lauren said softly.

"I told you I'd come home… and it's just as well I did… you'd have been waiting here all night otherwise…" he said, kissing the top of her head. "Do you want to go to bed now?" he asked her. She nodded her head so he stood up and helped her to her feet. He took her hand and led her into the bedroom. Lauren, who was already in her pyjamas climbed into the bed, Joey tucking her in. He walked round to his side of the bed, stripping as he did so. He was soon lying in the bed next to her and Lauren shuffled across the bed, Joey's arms wrapping around her.

"We're okay, aren't we, Joe?" she whispered.

"We're okay, babe…" he said, hopefully reassuring her.

"Good…" Lauren breathed. "I'm sorry about earlier…"

"And I'm sorry I told that woman…" he breathed.

Lauren smiled slightly, turning her head and kissing Joey's chest. "This time tomorrow, we'll be down at my mum's…"

"Are you looking forward to it?" he asked her.

"A little bit…" she said, "and I'm a little scared too… it's the first time I'll have seen them since before I came out of the hospital…"

"Everything will be fine, babe." He reassured her. "Now get some sleep… we've got a long day tomorrow… you'll need your strength…"

 **A/N: So do you think everything is fixed between Joey and Lauren? Has all been forgiven? Well, they're off to Devon tomorrow… and Lauren will get to see if her dreams are reality. Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	46. Chapter 46

**Thanks for the reviews. I will reply to them tomorrow... xx**

 **Chapter Forty Six.**

"Have you got everything you need, babe?" Joey said as he carried their two cases down the stairs. Joey had helped Lauren pack a lot of her new clothes between the two cases that morning as she'd been unsure what she would need and there still hadn't really been any discussion as to how long they were staying, not that Joey cared how long that was. He just hoped that Lauren was able to enjoy her time with her mother and brother.

"I think so…" Lauren said.

"Have you got your tablets and lotion?" he asked her.

She nodded, "They're in my bag," she said.

"We should go then… make sure we have enough time to get the tickets from the station." He said.

"Actually… I think I can help with that…" Max said, emerging from the lounge. "I ordered these online and they arrived this morning." He said, holding out an envelope towards Joey.

Joey took it and looked inside, seeing their train tickets that would take them all the way down to Devon. "Thanks Uncle Max…"

Max shrugged, "It wasn't anything…" he said, watching Lauren.

She smiled at him and then stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Thanks dad." She whispered. "And it was definitely something… it's was a lovely thing to do, dad…"

"Well, I love you, don't I?" he told her, "Now hadn't you both better be getting to the station?" he said.

"I'll call you when we get there, dad… let you know we're there…"

"I'll speak to you later then, babe." He told her, "Don't forget your old man while you're down there, okay?" he said.

"I'll call you regularly," Lauren promised him.

"And give Oscar a big hug from his daddy…"

Lauren smiled although Joey could see it didn't quite reach her eyes, "I will, dad." She said.

"Come on, babe." Joey said. He grabbed both cases once more and headed towards the front door.

"I'll be out in a minute…" Lauren said softly.

"Okay, babe."

Lauren hugged her dad again, "Take care of yourself, dad…"

"You too, babe… and let Joey look after you too…" he told her seriously.

"I will, dad…"

"I'll see you soon, okay… and just call me if you need to speak to me, okay… any time… night or day…" Max said, cupping the side of his daughter's face. Lauren nodded before turning and walking out of the house. Max followed after her, standing at the door and watching the two of them walk away from the house. Joey had given Lauren her case once she was with him and she was pulling it behind her, Joey carrying a large holdall and a smaller bag. He was also holding Lauren's hand, grounding her as they walked towards the market.

*JL*JL*

Lauren took a deep breath as they got closer to the market. The feeling of people seeing her was still something she struggled with. They turned into Bridge Street and Joey squeezed her hand. Lauren smiled at Kat and then Fatboy, who was looking after Peter's stall. She was relieved that her ex wasn't around but just as she thought that the café door opened and out he stepped. She thought he would ignore her like he'd done the other couple of times she'd seen him but he didn't. As they passed him he called out after her.

"Are you ever going to speak to me?" he said, his voice loud and carrying through the market, drawing the attention of the rest of the stallholders.

Lauren and Joey stopped and she turned her head back to look at him, "Peter…" she whispered.

"Oh, you do remember my name then?" he snapped, scowling at her.

Lauren looked down, shame washing over her. "Mate, I don't think there's any need for this…" Joey said, his hand tightening on Lauren's.

Peter stepped towards him, despite his smaller height and stature, he got close to Joey, clearly not put off by the fact Joey was much bigger than he was, "You aren't my mate…" he growled. There was little love lost between Joey and Peter… Joey's history with Lucy had meant it was bound to be a disaster. Peter looked at Lauren closely and she became even more self-conscious than she usually was. "You're leaving?" he said suddenly, clearly only just noticing the bags they had with them.

"We're going down to see my mum and Oscar." Lauren told him.

"Were you even going to say goodbye?" Peter asked her, his voice hard.

Lauren frowned, "I didn't realise I needed to…" she said.

"We may not be together anymore, Lauren… but I'd like to think we're still friends…" he said and Joey let out a bark of laughter. Peter turned to him, "Something you want to say, Branning?" he barked.

"I'm just wondering where you've been for the last eight months… seeing as how you're such a good friend to Lauren…?"

"Joe…" Lauren said awkwardly, aware of the attention they were garnering and hating it. "We should be going…" she added, hoping to distract him from her ex.

"I was giving her some space…" Peter said, ruining any chance Lauren hoped to have of getting out of the square. "Not all of us feel the need to crowd people…" he continued, "It's a shame you weren't as attentive with Lucy, eh?" he said spitefully.

Joey looked at him, "I'm not rising to the bait, Peter…" Joey said, the fight leaving his voice, "I'm sorry about what happened to Lucy… but me and her… was always a mistake. I should never have got together with her in the first place because I didn't feel anywhere near the same about her as she did about me…"

"You sure think a lot of yourself…" Peter spat, "My sister was an idiot for going anywhere near you…"

"She was, Peter…" Joey said, "And if I could go back in time and change things, I would've stopped it from ever happening…"

"It's a shame you didn't think that before it all began!" Peter declared.

Joey turned to Lauren, "Come on, babe… time to go…" he said softly. She nodded her head and they turned away from Peter.

Lauren turned back to him, "Goodbye Peter…" she said, staring at his face. She saw the disappointment on his face and she knew he'd been hoping for more than that, that he'd wanted a reconciliation between the two of them and Lauren knew that was never going to happen. She and Joey continued to make their way to the tube station, on the start of a brand new adventure.

 **A/N: Well I guess the confrontation with Peter was a long time coming… Send me a review and let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow…**


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty Seven.**

The journey down to Devon was slow and the weather was hot, making the train carriage uncomfortable for everyone. Joey tried several times to get Lauren to remove some of her clothing but she refused point blank, even though she was obviously sweltering in the heat. Instead he made sure she drank plenty of water and every now and again he'd encourage her to get to her feet and walk around the carriage, stretching her legs. He knew the pain would get really bad if she didn't move around enough. He could also tell that she was thinking about and worrying about seeing her mum and brother, not sure of the reaction she would get… and still haunted by her dreams about Oscar.

In the middle of the afternoon the train finally pulled into the last station and Joey got up and grabbed their bags, letting Lauren go in front of him and leave the carriage while he followed after her. They made their way out of the station, Lauren taking her case off Joey again, pulling it behind her. Tanya had arranged to meet them outside the station and as they neared the exit Lauren slowed down. Joey stopped next to her, "Stop worrying, babe…" he said softly. "Your mum and Oscar will be fine…" he reassured her.

"You really think so?" she whispered.

"Of course I do." He said, "Come on… your mum will be waiting…" he added, taking her hand in his. They walked out of the station together.

"Lauren!" Tanya screeched as soon as she saw them, running over to them. She pulled Lauren quickly into her arms, hugging her tightly, "You look so good, darling… I was a little worried. Your dad had told me you were healing well but I was still a little concerned…" she admitted. She pulled away from her daughter and looked at her face, "It's so good to see you, sweetheart…" she told her.

"Hi mum…" Lauren breathed. She looked around, "Where's Oscar?" she asked.

"It's an inset day for the school today but he's on a play date until later… I thought it'd be easier for you and Joey to settle in without him dashing around… He's so excited about you coming down to see us… A little too excited really. So he's gone to his friend's and they were going to a play zone this morning and he's having lunch at theirs as well…"

Lauren frowned, disappointed but also a little relieved to not have to see him just yet. "Okay." she said.

Tanya turned to her nephew, "Nice to see you too, Joey…" she said.

"Good to be here, Auntie Tanya…" he replied.

"Shall we get back to the house?" Tanya suggested. They both nodded and followed her, Tanya taking one of the bags from Joey as they walked to her car.

"How far is the house from here?" Joey asked.

"About half an hour's drive." Tanya said, opening the boot and stepping back, letting Joey put their luggage inside.

"Get in the car, babe." Joey said to Lauren so she went around to the front of the car and got in the passenger seat. Tanya went and got in the driver's seat while Joey was in the back. The car pulled out of the car park and they began the journey to Tanya's house.

*JL*JL*

Tanya pulled the house onto the driveway, stopping the car, "Here we are…" she said, looking at the house and smiling.

"It's beautiful, mum." Lauren said.

"It's big enough for me and Oscar… and I still have a spare room so you or Abs can come down to see you whenever you want…"

"This is nicer than the last house you were in," Lauren said, referring to the first house her mum had rented when they'd initially left Walford.

"Well, I've got myself a bit more settled now… and I had time to look for something nice, rather than just taking the first thing that was suitable. There's a school just down the road that Oscar goes to which is really good. He's made lots of friends… we both have really…" Tanya glanced at Lauren and smiled, "It's good to be down here…" she told her. "Let's go inside and I can show you both around, then you can get settled in…"

"Sure." Lauren said. They got out of the car and Joey and Tanya got the bags out of the boot, carrying them to the front door. Tanya opened the door and they all went inside.

*JL*JL*

Half an hour later Lauren and Joey were in the spare room, unpacking some of their things. Lauren was putting the last of her clothes in a drawer before turning back to the rest of Joey's bag.

"Leave it, babe." Joey said, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her shoulder. "We should go downstairs… your mum's waiting for us…" he told her.

"Okay…" Lauren said. She turned in his arms to face Joey and rose on her tiptoes, kissing him gently. "I love you." She told her.

Joey was smiling as they pulled apart, "That's good to know," he whispered, kissing her once more.

They walked downstairs and into the kitchen a few minutes later, sitting at the table in the middle of the room. Tanya was flitting around the room, getting them something to eat and drink. Once the three of them were sitting down Lauren knew she needed to ask. "What have you told Oscar about what happened, mum?" she said.

"Your dad and I told him you were hurt in an accident just after it happened… but that the doctors and nurses were looking after you and that you'd be better soon." Tanya said, "Didn't your dad tell you?" she said, frowning because she'd thought her ex-husband would have done that.

"I didn't ask…" Lauren said.

"By the time we came back here, you were much better and so on the way home I told Oscar that you were going to be okay…"

Lauren took a deep breath, "Did you tell him that I was burnt?" she whispered.

"Yes…" Tanya said, "but we didn't tell him how badly… we didn't want him to worry too much…" Lauren frowned, not sure if this was what she wanted to hear or not. "What's wrong, darling?" Tanya asked.

"I'm just worried about how he'll react when he sees me…" she admitted.

"I don't think you need be concerned about that... He's literally been counting down the hours to you coming…"

"He won't be scared of me?" she breathed.

"Lauren Branning…!" Tanya gasped, "You're his big sister… and he loves you more than pretty much any other person alive… he would never be scared of you…" Lauren brushed a hand over her face as her mum spoke so Tanya got up from her chair and moved closer, "Why would you think such a silly thing?" she asked.

"Because I'm ugly…" Lauren whispered, "He's going to look at me and he'll see…" The tears were falling fast now and Tanya reached for her, hugging her tightly as her daughter began to sob. "He won't want to come anywhere near me…" she said, becoming slightly hysterical as her fears were released in a torrent of tears.

"Don't be silly, darling," Tanya said, stunned by what she'd said. She hugged Lauren again, her hand brushing gently up and down her back as she looked at Joey. She could see that he wasn't as surprised by it as she was. She was pretty sure that this wasn't the first time Lauren had talked this way. "You're still beautiful, Lauren," she said softly. "And do you know what?" she said and Lauren shook her head, "Even if you weren't… Oscar would still love you… we all would…" She pushed Lauren away from her body and stared at her face, "You have a closeness with Oscar that none of us have, Lauren… those months when I was ill… you looked after him… You essentially raised him during that time, darling… You and him… you got so close over that time… he adores you… he thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread, sweetheart… Does that sound like he would care what you looked like?" she asked her, "Oscar doesn't care about things like that… he's just a little boy who loves his big sister…" She smiled at her daughter, "Do you remember how we brought you his teddy bear when you were in hospital… he wanted you to have his bear because he couldn't be with you… and his bear makes him feel better… and safe… so he was sure it would work for you as well." Tanya said softly, "What we didn't tell you was that he didn't sleep that night…"

"He didn't?" Lauren said, her voice breaking slightly.

Tanya shook her head, "No, he was missing his bear, sweetheart… Your dad even offered to drive to the hospital and get him for him but he was adamant that you have him… because he wanted you to get better…"

A tear rolled down Lauren's face and Tanya wiped it away, "He did?" she whispered as she stared at her mum.

"Yes, darling… That doesn't mean he didn't want his bear back the next day though… one night was enough…" she added, smiling.

Lauren giggled. "I guess I should be honoured I got one night…"

"You should, sweetheart… I don't know if he'd have done it for anyone else…" she said.

"He didn't sleep at all?"

Her mum lowered her face, "He dropped off at about four in the morning…" she said. "He slept in your dad's bed… but only would when me and your dad were there…"

"Mum…" Lauren said, shaking her head.

"It wasn't like that… We were just lying on the bed… either side of Oscar… Once he was asleep it gave us a chance to talk… and I filed for divorce when I got back here… the paperwork should come through shortly."

"Dad never said…" Lauren said, frowning as she took in what her mum had just said.

"No, I don't suppose he would've done…" Her mum admitted, "You had other things to deal with, didn't you though, eh?"

"I guess…"

Tanya glanced at the time, "Now, I'd better go and pick up Oscar from his friends… We'll be back soon, okay?" Lauren nodded and Tanya stood up, kissing her daughter on the forehead softly. She left the house a couple of minutes later, leaving the couple sitting in silence.

Joey reached for Lauren, his hand brushing her back gently, "Come here, babe…" he whispered. She turned in her chair and leaned towards him, letting him wrap his arms around her, "Everything's going to be okay…" he promised her.

"Can we go for a walk?" she whispered.

"Of course, we can… you need to get some exercise anyway… You've been sitting down too much tonight and your legs will really hurt tonight otherwise…" he said.

"I'll write a note for my mum… so she doesn't worry…" Lauren said, "And I thought I'd change into something else before we go…"

"Whatever you want, babe…" Joey said, pushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"I'll be back downstairs in a minute…" she murmured, getting to her feet and heading towards the stairs.

Joey waited in the kitchen, getting to his feet and walking around the room. He found a picture of Lauren, Abi and Oscar from when they were younger stuck to the front of the fridge, Oscar had a huge cheesy grin on his face that made Joey smile. The photo was barely visible amongst the paintings and drawings that were taped to the front of the door. It was clear that Oscar was content with his new life away from Walford… all of the pictures had a lightness to them… they looked happy and Joey realised just how much he'd been affected by the animosity between his parents as he grew up. He was pleased that the change of scene had helped Lauren's brother… he just hoped it helped Lauren just as much.

*JL*JL*

Joey turned as he heard footsteps on the stairs, smiling when he saw her standing unsurely in front of him. "You look beautiful, babe…" he said softly. She was wearing one of the gypsy skirts they had bought, along with a strappy vest top and a cardigan, she had flip flops on her feet.

"I thought we could go for a walk of the beach… mum said it was only about five minutes from here… down the hill…" she said.

"Let's go then, babe…" he said, holding his hand out towards her. Lauren wrote a short note on a piece of paper, leaving it on the kitchen table and then they left the house, hand in hand.

*JL*JL*

"Did talking to your mum help?" he asked as they walked down the hill.

"A little… I don't think I'll be totally relaxed about it until I see him… and see how he reacts. I can't believe how long it's been since I've seen him…" she admitted.

"I guess you'll find out when we get back to the house then…" he said. They reached the bottom of the hill and Joey led them towards the path down to the beach. It was quiet once they were there… possibly because it was still early in the holiday season and kids were still at school. He knew Lauren would be relieved that there were few people around as they made their way down to the sand. Lauren was walking cautiously, taking each step with care. "Do you want to sit down?" he asked after a couple of minutes.

"I'd quite like to paddle my toes…" she said, glancing at him, "Is that okay?"

"Sure…" Joey said. "Give me a second and I'll take off my shoes and socks…" They stopped walking and Joey bent down, removing his shoes and socks. Lauren started looking around when he reached for the belt at the waistband of his jeans.

"Joe?" she breathed. "This is a public beach…" she pointed out.

"I've got some shorts on beneath," he told her, smiling at her. "I came prepared…" he added with a smirk.

"Were you a Scout?" she teased him.

"Not for more than a couple of months…" he said.

"What happened?"

"I decided it was for pussies…" he said with a smirk.

"You got thrown out, didn't you?" Lauren said, smiling at him when she saw his face redden.

"Yeah…" he admitted. "I was playing with some friends outside the community centre where the group was held… and I kind of kicked a football and it went through a window…"

"That doesn't sound too bad…" Lauren said.

"I hadn't finished… The ball went through the window, breaking it and raining glass down on the Akela and the District Commissioner who happened to be visiting."

"Ouch…" Lauren said.

Joey smirked, "That's what they said too… Anyway, my mum was advised that it would probably be wise if I didn't return… and so ended my prospects as a boy scout."

Lauren giggled and kissed him softly. "Dork." She said. She started to walk again, knowing he would follow her. She was pensive as she got the water's edge, glancing around her to see if anyone was watching her. They weren't… well, apart from Joey. She stretched a foot out towards the sea, inhaling when the water touched her skin. It was freezing. She transferred her weight onto that foot, the water ebbing around her foot as she did the same with her other foot. She tried not to think about the water or the fact she'd had to pull up her skirt slightly so it wouldn't get wet. Joey moved to stand next to her, slipping his hand in hers and lacing their fingers together.

"You okay?" he asked her softly.

"Mmm hmm," she whispered, nodding. "The water feels strange…"

"How so?"

She shrugged, "I don't know… it just feels weird against my skin…"

"On your scars?" he asked.

"Yeah…"

"I'm sure it's nothing, babe…"

"I hope so…"

*JL*JL*

"We should get back to the house…" Joey said a little while later.

"Just a little bit longer…" she whispered, her eyes staring out across the sea into the distance. "It's so peaceful here…"

"That's one of the reasons we came here… so it would be peaceful…" he told her softly. "However I think there's a little six year old boy who is probably driving your mum mental by now… we should get back…"

"Okay…" Lauren said. She looked at her boyfriend, "If it freaks him out… can we go to a hotel tonight… and then go home tomorrow?"

Joey stopped her, brushing windswept hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear, his thumb stroking her cheek, "It's going to be fine…"

"Please, Joe?" she whispered.

"Okay… if there is any problem, I will sort it out… I promise…" They started to walk back to the house, brushing some of the sand off their feet once they were at the edge of the beach.

 **A/N: Lauren seems to be settling in at her mum's… and next time she'll get to see her brother for the first time in a while. I wonder how he will react… Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	48. Chapter 48

**So we're on the final stretch of chapters for this story now... :-(**

 **Chapter Forty Eight.**

Lauren and Joey walked slowly up the pathway to the front door and Lauren was about to knock on it when it was flung open. "Oscar, I've told you before, don't open the door without me being there…" Tanya called through as she made her way to the front of the house.

"But it's Lolly!" Oscar declared as if that was a valid excuse.

"Yes, darling… but you didn't know that, did you?" Tanya said.

"Yes, I did… I was watching for her and Joey through the window…" Oscar said. He turned back to his sister and cousin and smiled at them both, "Hi Lolly!" he said, a huge smile on his face.

"Hi Ozzie…" Lauren said, grinning when she saw him screw up his face at her nickname for him. He hated her calling him that which just made her call him it more.

"Lolly, you know I don't like you calling me that…" he whined.

"I know, Ozzie…" Lauren said, stepping forward and ruffling his hair as she walked into the house.

"Mummy will tell you off if you get sand all over the carpet…" Oscar said.

"Well, then Joey and I'd better go and wash our feet, hadn't we?" Lauren said, smirking at him.

"There's a hose in the garden." Oscar said.

"Is there… we'll use that then…" Joey said. "Can you show us where it is, Oscar?" he added.

"Mummy, can I go in the garden with Lolly and Joey?" he called through to the kitchen.

"For a few minutes…" she replied, "Just don't leave the garden…"

"I won't, mummy…" Oscar said. He moved to Lauren's side and slipped his hand in hers, pulling on it as he headed for the door, "COME ON, LOLLY!"

The three of them made their way out to the garden and Oscar dragged Lauren… and hence Joey… over to where the hose was attached to a tap on the wall. Lauren looked at Joey as he picked up the hose and turned it on. He washed his feet first and then Lauren lifted each foot in turn and he washed them off too. She could feel her brother watching and she was sure he'd have seen a scar on the back of her leg, seeing as how he was standing behind her but he said nothing. He'd not reacted at all to her, there wasn't any fear but at the same time he hadn't been his usual bubbly self either. Maybe it was just because she hadn't seen him for a while… she wasn't sure. She decided she'd wait for him to say something. They headed back into the house and Oscar ran off to get them a towel to use to dry off their feet again.

"Tea's nearly ready…" Tanya said. "Wash your hands, Oscar…"

"Oh mum…" he moaned, frowning and crossing his arms as he pouted.

"Why don't I go with you, Ozzie… and then we'll both have clean hands…" Lauren suggested.

"What about Joey?" Oscar asked.

"I can wash my hands in the kitchen, can't I?" Joey said.

"Okay." Oscar said. "I can show you my bedroom, Lolly…" he said as they started to climb the stairs.

"I don't think we have time before dinner, Ozzie… but you can show me it after tea… Joey too… I know he'd love to see it…"

"I guess…" he said. They went into the bathroom and Lauren helped her brother wash his hands, as well as washing her own. They were just drying their hands on the towel when Oscar spoke again, "Lolly, are you betterer now?" he asked her softly.

"Mostly, Ozzie…" she told him, not quite able to make herself look at his face.

He was silent for a few seconds and Lauren turned to hang the towel up. "Are you going to die, Lolly?" he whispered.

"Why would you ask that?" Lauren asked, her hand gripping the towel rail tightly.

"Timmy told me that you were going to die…" Oscar breathed.

"Who's Timmy?"

"He's my best friend…" Oscar admitted.

"Well I think you should be choosing better friends, Ozzie…"

"You didn't answer my question, Lolly…"

Lauren turned to face him, sitting on the toilet seat. She held her hand out towards him, "Everyone dies at some time, Ozzie… even me…"

He looked up at her face, tears in his eyes. "I don't want you to die, Lolly…" he whispered. "Please don't die… I'd be weally, weally sad if you did…" he said. He lunged towards her, hugging her tightly, pulling on the skin at the top of her back painfully.

"Ouch…" Lauren said. Oscar leapt backwards, looking at her with fear on his face. The look she'd been dreading.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked in a whisper.

"Just a little bit… I'm fine, Ozzie, I promise…"

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes." Lauren said, "And I'm not dying, Ozzie… Not for a long, long time…"

"You pwomise?" he asked her.

"Yes, I do…" she said. "Now we'd better go back downstairs… or mummy will wonder where we are…" Oscar ran ahead of her, darting down the stairs and making a run for the kitchen. Lauren followed at a more leisurely pace, using the extra time to compose her emotions. She walked into the kitchen and sat at the table next to Joey. He reached over and took her hand in his, looking at her in concern as he squeezed her hand. "I'm fine…" she murmured.

"Are you sure?" he asked and Lauren nodded.

Tanya walked over to the table and placed their plates in front of them, "Eat up." She said, sitting down at the table. The meal was quiet, Lauren caught in her thoughts about the conversation with her brother. Oscar and Joey were both watching Lauren, albeit for very different reasons. Oscar still wasn't convinced that she had told him the truth. He wasn't stupid, he'd known how ill his big sister had been… he'd caught on to the way his mummy and daddy had been… how worried they were in those months when they'd been back at daddy's house. He may be young but he wasn't silly… he'd heard his mummy cry when she thought he was sleeping… he'd seen the worry lines on his daddy's face. Joey was watching his girlfriend, knowing that something had happened between her and Oscar when they were upstairs. He didn't think it was too bad but it was enough for Lauren to dwell upon it. He just hoped she would open up to him later.

*JL*JL*

"Can I get down from the table, mummy?" Oscar said once everyone had eaten their food.

"Yes, you can Oscar… you can go and play in the lounge but just for half an hour… and then it's bath time and bedtime." Tanya said, collecting all the plates together.

"Can Lolly read me a story?" he asked.

"If she wants to…?" Tanya said, glancing at her daughter.

"Maybe tomorrow, Ozzie…" Lauren said softly, "I'm tired tonight… it's been a long day…"

"But…" Oscar protested.

"How about I read the story to you, Oscar?" Joey said, before Oscar could say anymore or create a scene.

"I guess." Oscar said, getting down from his chair and leaving the room. They could hear the TV being put on a moment later.

"I'd better sort all this stuff out…" Tanya said, sensing the atmosphere in the room but not really sure where it appeared from.

"I think I'm going to call it a night…" Lauren said, getting up and leaving the room before either of them could stop her.

"Did I miss something?" Tanya asked her nephew.

"I think something happened when Oscar and Lauren were upstairs but I don't know what…" Joey said, getting up and carrying over the plates to the worktop she was standing at. "Why don't I take Oscar upstairs in a few minutes and I'll put him to bed… I'll talk to him and see what went on…" he added.

"Would you?" Tanya said. "I wanted Lauren to enjoy her time down here… I don't want it to be stress filled… she's had enough of that in the last few months…"

"It will be, Auntie Tan…" Joey said, "That's what I want too… it's what we all want… She's right though… she's had a long day today and she still gets quite tired… The morning started off badly."

"How come?"

"We ran into Peter as we were on our way to the station… it was the first time they'd spoken since the fire… He was a bit of an arse about it…"

"In what way?"

"Just making out that Lauren had been ignoring him… hadn't made any effort to speak to him… and then he turned on me… going on about my relationship with Lucy. I'm sure he thought that Lauren had forgotten about the two of us being together…"

"Poor Lauren." Tanya said.

"She was okay about it… and I managed to refrain from punching him… so it wasn't a complete disaster… but it was stress she could've done without today…"

"I think the four of us should go out tomorrow… Spend some time together…" Tanya said.

"I think that's a great idea… but maybe we should see how Lauren is in the morning… make sure she's not in too much pain or anything… just in case the impact of today lingers tomorrow…"

"Okay… Let's not tell Oscar until we decide what's going on, then…? Don't want to have to deal with a tantrum as well as anything else…" she said, smiling at her nephew.

"I'd better go and see to Oscar… unless you want me to keep helping you…"

"No, you sort out Oscar… I'm nearly done here anyway." Tanya said.

Joey nodded and then walked through to the lounge. He walked over to Oscar, "Come on, Ozzie… turn off the TV… it's time for your bath…" He grabbed him and lifted him easily off the floor and over his shoulder. Oscar started to giggle as Joey walked upstairs. Joey carried him into the bathroom, lowering him to the floor.

"Where's Lolly?" Oscar asked as Joey began to run the bath for him.

"She's gone to bed, Ozzie…" He didn't say anymore to Joey's response so Joey continued to sort out his bath. Once the water was ready Joey turned to Oscar, "Time to get in the bath…" he said.

Oscar started to get undressed until he was just in his vest and underpants. He turned to Joey, "Is Lolly okay, Joey?" he asked softly.

"She is, mate… she just gets tired easily…"

Oscar nodded and then removed the rest of his clothes and climbed into the bath. Joey turned and sat on the floor, leaning against the pedestal of the sink. "Can I ask you something, Oscar?" Joey asked after a couple of minute's silence.

"Sure…" Oscar said.

"Can I ask what you and Lolly spoke about when you came upstairs?" he said carefully.

Oscar looked at him quickly and Joey could see the sad expression on his face. "I asked her if she was better." He said. "And I asked her if she was going to die…" he added as an afterthought.

Joey frowned, surprised by his second question. "Why did you ask that?" he said.

Oscar stared at his face, "No one tells me anything… they think they have to protect me… but I see things… I saw how worried mummy and daddy were when Lolly was in hospital… Mummy would cry herself to sleep at night… and daddy was always frowning… he looked scared." Joey nodded his head, surprised by how much Oscar had taken in. "Mummy and daddy told me she was hurt in a fire… so I knew she must've been hurt pretty bad…"

"What did Lolly say?" Joey asked.

"She told me she was better… and that she wasn't going to die any time soon…" He stared at Joey, "She wasn't lying, was she?" he checked.

"No, she wasn't, Ozzie…"

"Are you sure?" he said.

"I wouldn't lie to you… and nor would Lolly…" he said.

"Okay…" he whispered. He glanced at Joey again, "Did I upset Lolly?" he asked. "Is that why she's gone to bed?"

"I'll speak to her later…" Joey said, purposefully not answering his question because he didn't want to upset him any further.

"I didn't even get to give her a hug." He said sadly. "She must think I don't love her…" he said. "I'm a bad brother…"

"No, you're not, Oscar… Lauren knows that you love her very much… You wouldn't have asked her those question if you didn't care, would you?" Joey reasoned, "If you're still worried in the morning, maybe you could speak to her then… and tell her then."

"Okay…" he said.

"Are you going to wash your hair?" Joey asked.

"Can you help?" Oscar asked, "I don't like getting shampoo in my eyes so mummy always helps me…"

"Of course I can." Joey said.

*JL*JL*

Joey closed the bedroom door as he left it. Oscar was finally asleep, after Joey had read him two chapters of the book he was reading. He contemplated going in to see Lauren but he knew he needed to speak to his aunt first. He headed back downstairs and found Tanya sitting on the sofa, a mug of coffee in her hand. He sat down at the other end of the sofa, "I spoke to him…"

"What did he say?"

"He's very perceptive… he'd picked up just how ill Lauren was when she was in hospital, from watching you and Max… He saw how worried you both were… and upset… so he knew she was really very ill. He asked her if she was okay… which she said she was… and then he asked her if she was going to die… which I'm guessing is what upset her…" Joey said.

"He shouldn't have asked her something like that…" Tanya said, frowning as she thought about what Joey had just told her.

"I don't think he meant anything by it… other than to reassure his worry about her. He's concerned that she won't realise how much he loves her so I told him he should tell her that tomorrow… but that Lauren already knew anyway…"

"I take it her breakdown earlier today wasn't anything new…" Tanya said softly.

"No… It happens on a fairly frequent basis… She'd told me about her worries about Oscar… she's been having nightmares about it… but she's also had the same thoughts about me and my feelings for her too… Her confidence has been shot completely… not that she was overly confident beforehand anyway… that was something that was masked by the alcohol when we first got together…"

"I was worried that she'd fall back on that after everything to be honest…" Tanya admitted.

"Me and Max have both had similar thoughts but she's stronger than that… despite the breakdown earlier…"

"I hope so…"

"I'm going to call it a night now… sorry to abandon you but I'm shattered after today… and sleep has been something that's evaded us all over the last few months…"

"She has nightmares a lot?" Tanya asked.

"Yeah… I guess I should've warned you about that earlier…" he said, frowning slightly. "I hoped that they'd disappear with a change of scenery… I apologise in advance if she wakes you up." He said.

"It's fine. Night then… I'll see you both in the morning." She told him.

"Night." Joey said before walking back upstairs. He entered their room quietly, starting to strip quietly.

"I'm awake…" Lauren said, scaring the bejesus out of him.

"Bloody hell, babe… you almost gave me a heart attack…" he yelped.

"Sorry…" she breathed.

Joey continued to strip and then walked over to the bed and slid under the duvet, moving across it so he was lying close to her, "How are you feeling?" he breathed into her hair, kissing her head afterwards.

"Okay…"

"Oscar told me what he asked you… he feels bad for upsetting you… and not telling you how much he loves you…"

"I wish I could believe that…"

"Babe, please… he loves you so very much…" he told her, "We all do…"

"Joe…" she breathed.

"Yes, baby girl…"

"Show me…" she whispered.

It took him a few seconds to realise what she meant but then he lifted her chin. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. "I love you…" he breathed against her lips. "I'm so in love with you, it's painful…" He pressed his forehead against hers. "And I'm very grateful that you've got through the last few months… that we're back together again because I doubted we would… I thought we were done forever… and it hurt so much to think it was all over…"

"I'm glad we're back together too… I thought I'd lost you forever when you left the square… I wanted to be with you so much… but it wasn't the right time… I just hoped that something would bring us back together again." she said, "And I guess it did…"

"I just wish it wasn't the fire… something that caused you so much pain…" he said, pushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"It doesn't matter now, Joe… I've got through it… We should focus on the future now… our future…" She told him and he smiled at her in the darkness.

"I like the sound of that, babe…"

"Me too."

 **A/N: Poor Oscar… and poor Lauren… I don't think either of them expected things to go the way they have that day… Let's hope Oscar gets to apologise and make everything better again in the morning… Send me a review and let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow…**


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter Forty Nine.**

Lauren opened her eyes and she smiled when she realised she was in the spare room at her mum's house. She was lying in Joey's arms, her back against his chest. She pulled away from him slightly, a need to go to the loo forcing the situation. Joey stirred as Lauren moved from under his arm and she turned back to him, "Joe…" she said shaking him slightly. He opened one eye and looked up at her, moaning softly. "Put some pants on, Joe…" she said.

"Huh?" he said, slightly bleary eyed.

"You can go back to sleep after… but you need to have something on… in case we get a visitor…" she said. He groaned, rolling away from her, onto his front. "You know he's going to come in at some time… and I don't want him to…"

"I get it, babe…" he mumbled, Lauren only just catching the words as he lay face down.

"I'll be back in a minute…" she said, leaving the room quickly.

*JL*JL*

She slid back into the bed a few minutes later, smiling when Joey rolled back towards her, his arms around her chest. He had put some clothes back on while she was in the toilet, pants and a T-shirt now on his hot body. He hugged her back in his arms, kissing her shoulder softly. "Sleep…" he breathed against her skin.

"Okay…" she said, closing her eyes and letting herself relax.

*JL*JL*

"Lolly, is you and Joey awake?"

His voice wasn't very quiet as he 'whispered' to her through the door. Lauren had woken up about twenty minutes earlier and had been allowing herself to enjoy the experience of just lying in Joey's arms. It wasn't often they got to do this… Joey was normally getting up and going to work in the mornings and Lauren was usually shattered by the time they went to bed.

"Come in, Ozzie…" she said. She wasn't sure if he'd heard but the door slowly opened and Oscar peered around the door.

"Can I come in?" he whispered. Lauren smiled and then nodded her head. Oscar smiled back at her and he ran across the room. He looked over her shoulder, glancing at Joey and Lauren lifted the duvet. Oscar smiled at her brightly and clambered up into the bed. He lay in the bed next to Lauren for some time and she thought he had fallen asleep once more but he suddenly spoke. "I didn't mean to made you sad last night, Lolly…"

"I know, Ozzie…" she told him softly.

"So you're not upset with me?" He asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No, I'm not…"

"Good." He whispered.

"Can I have a hug?" Lauren said, holding her arms out towards him. He scrambled closer to her and she hugged him tightly against her.

"What's that, Lolly?" he whispered after a couple of minutes.

"What?" she asked.

Oscar lifted his hand and then touched her shoulder softly, his fingertips brushing a scar on her shoulder. Lauren tensed, not sure how to answer her brother. "It's a scar, mate…" Joey answering for her.

Oscar looked up, meeting the eyes of Joey, who was watching him carefully. "A scar…?" he breathed.

Joey nodded, "Come here, Ozzie…" he said softly; shuffling away from Lauren so there was space between the two of them.

"No, Joe…" Lauren murmured, turning her head to look at her boyfriend, horror written across her face.

"It's fine, babe…" Joey told her softly, leaning forward and kissing her gently. "He should understand what happened…" he added, "His imagination will run wild if you hide it from him…"

"But…?" She said, tears flooding her eyes.

"Trust me…" Joey said gently, "and trust him…"

Lauren turned away from him, finding her baby brother staring at her. She smiled a slightly wobbly smile at him and he flashed a grin at her. He sat up, leaning forward much like Joey had and kissing Lauren softly on the mouth. "Luvoo, Lolly…" he breathed and Lauren's heart clenched. He moved away from her again and then Joey helped the little boy over where Lauren was lying. She lay there tensely as Joey showed Oscar some of the more healed scars at the top of her back. "Do they hurt, Lolly?" Oscar asked her softly.

Lauren cleared her throat, her emotions tightening her throat, "Sometimes…" she whispered.

"Lolly has to put on some lotion every night…" Joey said, "It helps the skin heal… and makes sure it doesn't hurt her more than it has to…"

"It must be difficult for Lolly to put it on her back…" Oscar murmured, tentatively reaching forward and brushing a fingertip over a larger scar, "It's feels… strange…" he breathed and Lauren tensed again, "Like a pattern on some material… or a piece of wood…" he added. Lauren's body began to shake, the tears overwhelming her as she heard her brother talk. "They're pretty, Lolly." He said, surprising his sister once more.

"No, they're not…" she croaked.

"They are." Oscar declared adamantly. He sat up, looking over Lauren's shoulder, "Why are you upset?" he asked her.

"Because they're ugly…" she whispered, "I don't want you to see them…" she admitted.

"They're not, Lolly…" he told her, his voice strong as he spoke to her, "They show you were brave… that you're strong… and det… det…" He glanced back at Joey, "I can't fink of the word…"

Joey thought about what he'd been saying, "Do you mean determined?" he asked.

"That's it… mummy says I'm… det… ter… mined…" he said proudly, "Maybe I get it from Lolly…?" he said.

"Maybe you do." Joey said, grinning at the small boy. "So you don't think her scars are too bad?" he asked him. Oscar shook his head vigorously.

"No, Joey… You can't hardly see them… not unless you're pretty close like we are now… but they're not ugly… not like Lolly thinks anyway…"

"There are worse ones," Lauren breathed, turning her head and looking at the two boys, watching Oscar's face closely.

"Can I see them?" he asked.

"Maybe another time…" Lauren said, not sure she could cope with more.

"I want to see them now." Oscar said pouting slightly.

"Don't push Lolly, Ozzie…" Joey said, "It's difficult for Lolly to show you… to show anyone…" he said.

"I don't understand…" he whispered, a deep frown on his face.

"You know how ill Lolly was, right?" Joey said, trying to explain to the six-year old boy. Oscar nodded. "Well, to Lolly her scars remind her of that time, of how much pain she was in, of how close she came to not making it through…" he said. He saw the understanding start to creep onto Oscar's face.

"Would it be better if I keep telling her that I like them?" he whispered.

Joey smiled, "Maybe…" he said. "How about the two of us go and get some breakfast, eh? We can give Lolly a little time before she comes downstairs and joins us…"

"Shall we make breakfast for mummy too?" Oscar asked.

"I think we can manage that…" Joey said. He climbed out of the bed and lifted Oscar easily in his arms, much like he had the night before. "Come on, soldier…" he said and Oscar giggled.

"You're funny, Joey…" he said, "I like you lots."

"Well, that's good to know, Ozzie… because I like you lots too…" Joey said as he made his way around the room, glancing at Lauren.

The bedroom door shut behind them and Lauren dissolved into tears, her emotions in tatters as she absorbed her brother's heartfelt words. She cried for several minutes but eventually they faded and she sat up in the bed, grabbing some tissues and wiping her face. She got out of the bed, grabbing Joey's gown from the back of the door and putting it on, hugging it around her body. She opened the door, surprised to find her mother standing there. "Mum…" Lauren said.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently. "Joey told me what happened… he suggested I come and see if you were alright…"

"I am… now…" Lauren said.

"Do you feel better now that Oscar's seen them?"

"A little… but he hasn't seen the worst ones…"

"Then maybe you should show them to him too…"

"Maybe… not today though…" Lauren whispered, "But I might do before we go home again…"

 **A/N: That was quite emotional, wasn't it? What did you think of Oscar's reaction to Lauren's scars? Do you think Joey was right to push Lauren to let Oscar see? SEND ME A REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! Back tomorrow…**


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter Fifty.**

The family were sitting around the kitchen table and Joey was serving up the pancakes he and Oscar had made for them all. Oscar was practically bouncing in his seat at the table that Tanya had only just managed to get him to sit in. To say he was excited was possibly the understatement of the century… and he was also very proud because he'd stirred the batter with Joey so he felt like he'd participated in the process… or as he liked to call it… he'd made the pancakes and Joey had cooked them.

Joey sat next to Lauren, his hand brushing over her back softly. She looked at him, her eyes guarded as she still dealt with what had happened up in their bedroom earlier. Joey leant over to her and kissed her softly, Lauren pulling away from him quickly, glancing at her mum and brother. Oscar was watching them both and he beamed a huge smile at her, looking at the two of them goofily and Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Let's eat breakfast…" Lauren said, "We don't want it to get cold, do we… not after all your hard work." She added. Joey was tense as he pulled away from her and Lauren sensed it. She reached towards him, her hand settling on his thigh, squeezing it slightly. They ate their breakfast, Oscar keep up a steady stream of conversation, talking to the three of them about his school class. Lauren and Joey soon learned much about his bestest friends, two boys called David and Stephen… along with the previously mentioned Timmy. Lauren was pleased that her brother had settled into his new home so well… she had worried about him being uprooted from the only real home he'd known after the first turbulent years of his short life.

"I was thinking that maybe the four of us could do something together today," Lauren's mum said, "If you're up to it, Lauren…?" she added.

"I'd like that," Lauren said, "As long as you're not expecting me to run a marathon or anything…" she said, a wry smile on her face.

"I don't think any of us are up to that, darling…" Tanya said.

"I don't know, mum… Joe did the London marathon… I think he'd be up for it…" Lauren said, glancing at her boyfriend, pride shining from her face. Joey smiled at her before turning back to his food. "So what did you have in mind, mum?"

"We could go for a walk down to the beachfront?" Tanya said, "There are some nice little shops down there that I thought you might like… and there are some arcades and things to keep the boys entertained…" she told them. "And if you get too tired, we can get a taxi back here."

"Let's do that then." Lauren said.

"Once we've cleared up after breakfast, we can walk down there…" Tanya said. "We could have some lunch down there too… and get some food in for the weekend…"

"Sounds good." Joey said, putting his arm around Lauren's shoulders.

*JL*JL*

They finished eating and Tanya insisted on clearing up the kitchen, telling Joey and Lauren to go and get ready for their trip. "Can I take my bike, mummy?" Oscar said, getting down from his seat.

"Okay, I'll help you get it out in a few minutes." Tanya said.

"I can do it, mummy…" Oscar said.

"Oscar, wait for me," Tanya said, "There are a lot of things in the shed and you could get hurt…" Oscar pouted but his mother wasn't swayed, "Go and watch some cartoons for a few minutes…"

"I'm just going upstairs." Lauren said, pushing her chair back and standing up. She looked at Joey and he stood to, following her up the stairs.

"Have you forgiven me?" he asked as she walked across the room and opened the wardrobe.

"There's nothing to forgive, Joe." She said softly, not looking at him.

He pushed away from the doorframe, closing the door behind him before striding across the room and wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed the corner of her jaw, breathing in her scent, his eyes closed, "I just wanted him to see them in a setting where we could control it… I didn't want him to see them without us realising and to worry. He takes in a lot, babe… even though he's small… he sees and hears everything…"

"Just like I did when I was young…" she whispered, biting her lip to refrain from moaning when he kissed her neck again.

"He's a lot like you, Lauren…" he breathed, "And he adores you…" he added, dotting kisses down her neck, "When we were downstairs making breakfast, you were all he could talk about…"

"About my scars?" she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

"No." He told her, pulling away from him and turning her in his arms so she was looking at him. He lifted his hand, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "He was saying how wonderful you were… how much he'd missed you… how he was really glad you were better and that we'd come down here… He wants us to stay here forever…" He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly.

They pulled apart and Lauren turned again, turning back to the wardrobe and her previous dilemma. "I don't know what to wear…" she whispered.

"Do you trust me to choose something for you?" he asked her.

"Yes… but please… nothing too revealing…"

"Of course." He said. He stepped past her and then rifled through the clothes until he found what he was looking for. He continued to look, searching for something that could accompany the other item. Finally he found it and he turned, holding both hangers out towards her. "How about these?" he said, "The dress is one of my faves… and the cardigan will keep your shoulders and back covered…" She took the clothes from him and he turned back to the wardrobe, bending down and picking up a pair of flip flops. "And you can wear these too…" he said. He could see the indecision on her face so he leant forward, "Will you try?" he breathed, "For me?"

"Okay." she said. She turned towards the bed and put the clothes down. She opened the gown she was still wearing and it slowly fell to the floor, Joey bending down to pick it up and hang it on the back of the door. He turned back to face her, smiling when he saw that she was putting on the dress he'd chosen. He stood in silence, knowing that they were walking a very fine line between her wearing the outfit and her backing out of it and refusing to go out with her family. So he said nothing as she continued to dress. The dress was on now and just as he remembered, it looked amazing on her. It was strapless, hence her need for the cardigan but it also reached the floor, thereby covering all of her legs. It was also very loose fitting, hiding the amount of weight she'd lost over the intervening months from everyone. Her appetite hadn't really returned yet so she hadn't been able to put on any of the lost weight. Joey knew that Tanya was aware of it and he most certainly was… as was Max, but she was self-conscious about it… about that and so many other things.

She turned to face him and he smiled. "Stunning…" he told her.

"Liar." She whispered but her cheeks flushed red and she smiled. She walked over and took the flip flops from him, dropping them on the floor between them and stepping into them. "You'd better get a move on if you're going to be ready, Joe…"

"Good point." He grinned and then walked across the room, pushing down his jogging bottoms and pants as he did so. His T-shirt was pulled off next and he stood there, naked before her. He was aware of her eyes on him… hell, he'd done it on purpose really… he wanted to see if he would get a reaction out of her. He opened a drawer and grabbed some clean clothes, throwing them on quickly. He walked back over to her and kissed her softly. "Ready." He told her unnecessarily.

They left the room and went back downstairs, finding Oscar impatiently waiting in the lounge. "You okay, Ozzie…?" Lauren asked, sitting next to him.

"I wanted to get my bike out of the shed so I can ride it when we go out but mummy said I wasn't allowed to…" He scowled, folding his arms across his chest dramatically.

"Why doesn't Joey go out with you to the shed?" Lauren said, "He can try and get your bike out for you, eh?" she said.

"Do you think he would?" Oscar whispered.

"Why don't you ask him?" Lauren said, nudging him with her shoulder.

Oscar thought about it for several seconds and then he slid off the sofa and walked over to where Joey was standing, "Joey, will you help me get my bike out of the shed?" he asked, standing close to his side and looking up at his elder cousin, an adorable look on his face that made Lauren smile.

"Let's go and get that bike, shall we?" Joey said, glancing at his girlfriend and seeing the smile on her face. He took the little boy's hand and they walked out of the front door, walking around the house and heading towards the shed, Oscar chatting away happily.

"Where's Oscar?" Tanya asked as she walked into the room, wiping her hands on a towel as she looked at her daughter.

"Joey took him outside to the shed, so they can go and get his bike out…"

Tanya shook her head, "I told him I'd do it when I'd finished in the kitchen…" she said, a slight tone of anger in her voice, "I swear he plays up more every day…" she said.

"I suggested it, mum… and it's probably easier if Joey does it anyway… I got the impression there was more than just the bike in the shed…" Lauren said, "Joey didn't mind… he's still trying to get to know Oscar… and for him to trust him…"

"He doesn't need to try that hard, darling… Oscar thinks Joey is just about the greatest thing that isn't you…" Tanya said.

Lauren blushed, not so sure her mum was speaking the truth after that morning. She stood up, "Shall we go outside? Make sure they aren't making a mess of your shed?"

"I'm not sure it's possible for the shed to be made any messier…" Tanya said, grabbing her handbag and joining her daughter. "Let's go…" she said, opening the front door and holding it open for Lauren.

*JL*JL*

Lauren squeezed Joey's hand tightly as they walked down the hill, like they had the night before. "I'm glad we came here, Joe." Lauren said.

Joey looked at her, "I just wanted you to be happy…"

Lauren smiled at him, "You make me happy, Joe… but you're right, coming here was a good idea…"

Joey smiled at her first comment, leaning over and kissing her gently. "Anything to put a smile on your beautiful face…" he told her softly.

"Charmer." She whispered.

"That's why you love me, babe…"

"It's one of many reasons." Lauren said with a smile.

"Maybe we can explore some of those reasons later?" he whispered hopefully in her ear, not sure what to think when she giggled in response.

"It depends on if you're a good boy today or not…" she told him, a sparkle in her eyes that Joey hadn't seen for a very long time.

 **A/N: I wonder what exactly Lauren and Joey are thinking of… Are they even thinking of the same thing? Who knows with these two? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back later... if I get enough reviews...**

 **Now is probably the right time to say... JUST THREE CHAPTERS LEFT!**


	51. Chapter 51

**Second chapter of the night then...**

 **Chapter Fifty One.**

Lauren sat at the table outside the café on the beach front… it was like sitting outside the café in Walford… apart from the sea and the sunshine… scratch that, this was nothing like being back at home at all. She smiled, closing her eyes and letting the sun warm her through.

"You okay, darling?" her mum asked her softly.

"Yeah… It's so lovely here…" Lauren murmured.

"It is… I fell in love with the place as soon as I saw it… then when I researched and found out the school was good and I could set up a salon down here, I knew it was the right place to come to."

"It's much nicer than where you were before." Lauren said.

Tanya laughed, "That didn't take much though really, did it?" she said. "You should've seen your dad's face when he came down here to see Oscar and he saw it… He gave me some money so I could afford the house… and he signed the paperwork for the salon as guarantor for me too…"

"I still can't believe you've got divorced…" Lauren said quietly.

Tanya stared at her daughter, stunned by what she'd just said, "You didn't think we would get back together, did you?" she asked.

"No…" Lauren breathed but Tanya could see the lie on her face.

"You did, didn't you?" Tanya said. She moved from her seat, sliding onto the one beside her eldest daughter and putting an arm around her shoulders. "Oh, sweetheart… I thought you were the one who would be pleased about this…?" she said. "You know that things between me and your dad were never going to work…?"

"But he loves you…" Lauren whispered, "And you love him… I know you do…"

"I do… and there's a part of me that always will… He gave me you, Abs and Oscar and I will always love him for that… but your dad and I… we just don't work… not in a way that doesn't end up hurting everyone…" she said. She wiped some tears away from Lauren's cheeks.

"I guess… I just thought after everything that happened… it would bring you closer together again… that you'd get back together… and we'd be a family again." Lauren whispered sadly.

"We'll always be family, Lauren… just because we're not all in Walford anymore, doesn't make us any less of a family…"

"I just want everything to go back to how it was before…" Lauren said, more tears falling from her eyes. "Before…" she couldn't seem to say anymore but Tanya knew what she was trying to say.

"Before the fire?" she asked softly. Lauren nodded, more tears breaking free. "Oh sweetheart, we'd already split up before then, hadn't we, eh? Even if the fire hadn't happened, we would still be apart…"

"It's my fault…" Lauren said, "It was me that tore you apart… it was always me…" she admitted. "I did the DVD that Christmas… I forced dad to go to Manchester and not come back… and then my drinking… I made you split up…"

"It wasn't you, Lauren… if anything, it was me and your dad that made you drink in the first place… Your dad and I just don't work… we could… and do… love each other more than we could ever love any other person… but we can't be together… It's not fair on you kids… or us… We hurt each other too much… as much as we love each other, we're good at hurting each other too…" Tanya stared at her daughter, seeing the sad realisation that her parent's marriage was truly over wash over her face, "What happened to you… in the fire… that actually helped us, sweetheart," Tanya told her softly.

"It did?" Lauren breathed.

Tanya nodded, "Yes…" she confirmed. "It made us talk to each other… we're getting on better now than we were after I first left the square… I think we'll remain friends which I didn't think would ever be the case when it first happened…"

"And you got divorced…"

"Yes, we did… but it was all very friendly… there wasn't any arguments… no wrangling for money… no arguing over Oscar… it was nice… Which given our past is a good thing, right?"

"I guess…"

"Now wipe your eyes, Joey and Oscar are coming back and we don't want them to worry about you, do we?" Tanya said. Lauren did as her mum said, pulling a tissue from her bag and blowing her nose as well. Tanya moved back to her original seat, picking up her handbag and taking out her purse. "How about we have some scones and clotted cream… we are in Devon, after all…"

"Sure." Lauren said.

"Do you want to come in with me, Oscar?" Tanya asked, "Maybe we can get you some ice cream instead?"

"YAY… Yes please, mummy…" Oscar said, taking her hand and trying to drag her towards the shop.

"We'll be back in a minute…" Tanya said.

Joey sat down, not falling for his aunt's diversionary tactic at all, "You okay, babe?" he asked her, his arm wrapping around her body and pulling her against him. Lauren nodded, her head resting on his shoulder. "You want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Later." Lauren whispered.

"Okay, babe." He said, kissing her forehead.

"Did you have fun with Ozzie?"

"Yeah… He's a good kid…"

"He is," She agreed, "Which is surprising… Despite everything."

"Everyone has some shit in their childhood, babe… you, me, Abi and Oscar… Whitney, Lucy and Peter… I'm sure if you asked Tam and Nancy they'd say the same thing…" he said. "But I bet every one of them would say that there was a lot of good stuff too…"

"Even you?" she whispered.

"Even me… My childhood was good… once Derek was gone…"

"Do you ever wish he wasn't your dad?" she asked.

"I used to when I was younger… but no, not anymore…"

"You don't?" Lauren said, lifting her head and looking at his face.

"If he wasn't my dad, I wouldn't have met you, would I?"

"No…"

"Then I'm very glad he was my dad… because I don't ever want to live a life when you aren't in it…" he told her.

"There you go with that charm again…" she whispered. "And yes, that's why I love you…"

"One of many reasons, I'm told…" he said, smiling slightly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good… I told you earlier, coming down here was just what I needed…"

"Good… I was thinking, maybe tomorrow the two of us could take Oscar out for the day? Give your mum some time on her own and we get to spend some special time with Ozzie…"

"I think he'd like that…" Lauren said.

"Let's wait and see how you feel in the morning… Just in case you're having a bad day…"

"I'll be fine…" Lauren reassured him.

"We don't want to raise his hopes just to have to dash them again, do we?" he said softly.

"Okay."

The sound of running feet interrupted them from saying anything else, "Look, Lolly!" he said, stumbling slightly over his own feet. He came to an abrupt standstill, looking at the floor in dismay. He looked up at his sister, tears in his eyes. "I dropped it…" he whispered.

"Come here, Ozzie…" Lauren said. He stepped over his dropped ice cream and walked to her side as she pulled away from Joey. Lauren hugged her brother, "What flavour ice cream was it?" Lauren whispered to him.

"Mint Choc Chip… and Strawberry… one scoop of each…" he said.

Lauren restrained herself from screwing her face up at the odd combination of flavours that her brother had chosen. "How about I give Joey some money and he goes and gets you another ice cream… and ask someone for something so we can clear up the mess you've made, eh?"

"Mummy's going to be cross with me…" he whispered. "She told me not to run…"

"It's fine, Ozzie… it was an accident… and we're going to fix it… Now, would you like Joey to get you some more ice cream?" she asked again.

"Please Lolly…" he said.

She opened her bag and pulled some money out of her purse and passed it to Joey. "I'll just be a couple of minutes," he said, getting up. He passed Tanya as she was coming out of the café, a tray in her hands.

"Don't tell me you've eaten that ice cream already, Oscar…" Tanya said as she sat at the table.

"We had a little accident," Lauren explained. Tanya looked around and saw the rapidly melting ice cream and cone lying on the floor.

"I'm sorry, mummy…" Oscar whispered.

Tanya looked at his face and seeing the tears in his eyes. "It's okay, sweetheart…" she said.

"Joey's just gone to get another ice cream for him…" Lauren said.

"Aren't you a lucky boy, Oscar?" Tanya said and Oscar nodded.

Joey came out of the café, holding another ice cream. Lauren tempered her reaction when she saw he was talking to a young blonde girl who was walking over to the table with him. "Here you go, Ozzie…" Joey said, sitting back at the table and passing the ice cream cone over to his younger cousin. "Rachel here is going to clear up the mess…" he said, grinning at the blonde again. Lauren stiffened slightly, refusing to look at Joey or the blonde. Instead she focused her attention on Oscar, making sure he was holding the ice cream more securely this time.

The table fell silent and Tanya went about pouring the tea she'd got into three mugs. She put the plate of scones and bowls of jam and clotted cream in the centre of the table. "Eat up, everyone…" she said, sensing the tension around the table, emanating mainly from her daughter.

The blonde girl stood up, "All sorted…" she said, "Enjoy the rest of your day…" she said, staring at Joey intently. "Maybe we'll see you again before you go home…" she said hopefully.

Lauren reached past Joey and took a scone from the plate, putting it on her plate and picking up her knife. She accidentally let her knife clatter onto her plate before reaching across again and picking up the bowl of clotted cream.

"Thanks Rachel," Tanya said, smiling politely at the blonde girl. Rachel left them alone and the family continued to eat their food, the tension between the young couple still climbing.

"Mummy, can I go and ride my bike?" Oscar said, ignorant of the tense atmosphere and having finished his ice cream.

"Maybe Lauren can wipe your face first… but then yes, you can… just don't ride away too far…" Tanya said.

"Okay mummy…" Oscar said. He slid off the chair and stood still while Lauren grabbed a serviette and wiped his face, removing all evidence of the ice cream he'd clearly enjoyed. He ran to where he had left his bike, climbing onto the saddle and starting to pedal along the beachfront.

Lauren watched him for a couple of minutes as she continued to eat her scone. She glanced up, frowning when she saw the blonde girl looking through the window of the shop, staring at Joey. "Is she asking for it or what?" she muttered, more to herself than her mum or Joey.

"What was that, darling?"

"Her… she keeps staring…" Lauren said, turning her attention back to her food.

"Who?" Tanya asked.

"The blonde…"

"I'm sure she can't see your scars, babe…" Joey said.

"She's not staring at me… she's staring at you…" Lauren said pointedly.

"Why?" He asked, confusion on his face which went some way to make her feel better.

"Clearly she likes you…" Lauren muttered. "She's all Joey-eyed…"

"I'm going to go and see what Oscar is up to…" Tanya said, quickly leaving the table and heading towards where Oscar was riding his bike.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Joey asked, referring to Lauren's previous comment.

"You know…" she said.

"Well, clearly I don't… or I wouldn't be asking you, would I?" Joey said.

"She hasn't stopped staring at you since you were flirting with her when you came out of the café…" Lauren hissed at him.

"I wasn't flirting, I was just being nice…" Joey said.

"You were flirting… it looked like flirting to me… and it sure as hell looked like flirting to her… And she was flirting right on back…" Lauren picked up her cup of tea, taking a sip from it. "She was lapping every single second of it up…"

"I'm not doing this…" Joey said, pushing his plate away from him.

"Doing what?" Lauren asked.

"Arguing with you about something so ridiculous… something that is all in your head…" Joey said.

"It's not in my head, Joe… she's staring at you right now…" Lauren said.

"Well, I'll go and tell her to stop… will that make you happier?" he asked, putting his hands on the arms of the chair and starting to stand up.

"Don't be stupid…" Lauren hissed.

"I mean it, babe… If it will make up feel better, I'll go and tell her that there is never any chance of anything happening between me and her… that for me she doesn't even exist… If that's what you want me to do, then I will…"

"Why?" she whispered.

"Why would I do it?" he asked, frowning because he couldn't understand why she didn't know the answer to that question.

"No… well, yes… but what I meant was why you said she doesn't even exist…?" she asked him softly.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Joey asked her gently, "I thought you understood now… that you knew how I felt…" Lauren stared at him, "She doesn't exist to me… because the only person I see… the only person I'm even interested in seeing… is you… You're it, babe… You make me smile every time I look at you… you make every day we're together a bit brighter… It's because of you I want to get up every morning… you make my heart race… you're the woman I love… that I will always love…" He said. He lifted his hand, pushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I don't want to be with any other woman… just you… It's always been you…" he breathed. He leaned forward and kissed her softly, deepening it naturally without thinking about it. He pulled his mouth from hers, hearing her shortness of breath as he did so.

"Well, I think that told her…" Lauren murmured, glancing once more at the café, a satisfied look on her face.

Joey pulled away from her, feeling a little disgusted at what had just happened, "Now I feel used." He murmured, staring out across the beach, ignoring his girlfriend.

"What?" Lauren said in confusion.

"That made me feel cheap…"

"I didn't mean it that way, Joe." Lauren told him.

"Yeah, well it had the same effect…" he muttered.

An awkward silence fell between the two of them for a few moments until Lauren sighted. "Why don't we go and catch up with mum and Oscar?" Lauren asked.

"Sure…" Joey agreed, starting to put the plates and cups on the tray that Tanya had brought the food out on, tidying it up. He was tempted to carry it into the café but chose not to. For the sake of the current peace between him and Lauren, he decided it wasn't a good idea. He stood, Lauren standing up at the same time and he held his hand out towards her, slightly relieved when she took it.

 **A/N: Oh dear… First Joey mucked up and then Lauren did. Can they ever work things out? Send me a review and let me know what you think. Back tomorrow…**


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty Two.**

The day passed quickly, both Joey and Lauren choosing to ignore their earlier disagreement until later. Oscar had a whale of a time, flitting between the three of them throughout the day. Not long after their lunch they'd returned to the house and then spent the remainder of the afternoon playing board games and laughing together. He had gone to bed early that night, tired out after his fun-filled day.

Tanya had plans for the evening, taking advantage of her free babysitters and meeting up with a new man she was kind of seeing. Lauren wasn't sure how she felt about that but she eventually decided that it was her mum's life and she just wanted her to be happy. After her mother's departure for the evening, it was just Joey and Lauren and they lay on the sofa watching TV together. "I'm sorry about earlier…" Lauren whispered.

"Which bit?" he asked.

"All of it… I didn't mean to make you feel cheap…"

"Can you tell me why you feel that way?" Joey asked her softly.

"I just keep thinking that one day you'll leave me…" she admitted.

Joey reached for the remote control, turning off the TV that neither of them was really watching. "Look at me…" Joey whispered. She rolled onto her back and turned her head towards him. "I'm never going to leave you, babe…" he told her softly. "I've tried it more than once and each time it was the worst thing I ever did… I'm certainly not going to do it again now I've got you back in my life. I know you've felt vulnerable since the fire… but you really don't need to… You're the only girl I could ever want…" he said.

"But…" she whispered, biting her lip and stopping from saying anything more.

"Tell me…" he breathed.

"We don't ever do anything…" she breathed.

"You mean we don't have sex?" he asked and she nodded. "We've talked about this before, babe… You're not ready… when you are, we'll try…"

"What about if I said I was ready now?" she whispered.

Joey stared at her, trying to ascertain how truthful she was being, "Are you sure?"

"I think so…" she murmured.

"But you don't know?" he said.

Lauren shook her head, "I'd just like us to try…" she said.

Joey stared at her face for a couple of minutes. "Okay…" he breathed.

"Really?" she said, her face lighting up. He nodded. "We should go upstairs…" she said, her hand lifting and cupping the side of his face.

Joey smirked, "We could always do it here…?" he suggested.

"Much as I love that idea, I don't relish the thought of mum walking in on us defiling her sofa… or even worse, Oscar coming downstairs and finding us…"

"They're both very good points…" he said. He pushed himself up and then clambered off the sofa, holding his hand out towards her and pulling her to her feet. "Let's call it a night then…" he said softly, lowering his head and kissing her. He lifted her off her feet, hearing her giggle as he carried her up to their room.

*JL*JL*

He placed her feet gently on the floor and stood before her. She started to take her cardigan off but Joey stopped her, "I think you should leave them on…" he said.

Lauren frowned, "Why?"

"I don't want you to hurt yourself…"

"And taking my clothes off will do that?" Lauren asked, puzzled.

"I just…"

"Okay, I'll leave them on…" she whispered but he could see from her face that wasn't what she wanted.

"What have I done wrong?" he asked.

"Is it because of the scars?" she asked.

"Yes…" he murmured and she looked at him aghast and his eyes widened as he realised how she had taken his comment, "I don't mean like that… God, babe… no, never did I mean that… I just don't want you to hurt your still healing skin…" he said gently, "It would kill me for you to be hurt when I make love to you…"

"Okay… I understand…" she breathed, "I'm still going to take my cardigan off…" she said.

"Alright…" he said. He watched as her cardigan slid down her arms and then fell on the floor.

"And I guess I should take off my underwear…" she said, winking at him.

"That'll make things easier…" he said, watching as she bent down, reaching under her dress and pushing down her knickers.

She stood back up again, holding her knickers in the air between them and then dropping them unceremoniously onto the floor. "All done." She said, giggling softly. "I believe it's now your turn?" she whispered.

"Maybe you'd like to help…" he said.

"Another time, maybe… We're running short of time and I don't want us to miss out on this…"

"You're full of good ideas today." He said. He turned and began to strip off his clothes, aware that he had a very attentive audience. Once he was naked he turned back to her, seeing the desire on her face. "Satisfactory?" he asked.

"More than…" she whispered, her arms winding around his waist and pulling him against her. "Kiss me." She asked him softly.

"That I can definitely do…" he whispered before his lips descended on hers. Lauren moaned into his mouth as he kissed her almost aggressively. He walked her backwards, aware enough to stop just before they reached the bed. He pulled his mouth from hers, "Get on the bed," he growled and Lauren felt herself getting wet from the sound of his voice alone. She did as he asked, scrambling back to the top of the bed, staring at the dark look on his face. She couldn't tear his eyes away from his but if she'd been looking she would've seen that his cock was ready and waiting for her. "Touch yourself…" he breathed.

"I'd rather you did it…" she whispered.

"You start… and I'll finish…" He bartered.

"Deal." Lauren said. She pulled the skirt of her dress slowly up, her hand slipping beneath so she could touch herself.

"Let me see…" Joey breathed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Lauren sighed but did as he asked, pulling her skirt a little higher, exposing herself to him. She could feel him staring at her, her fingers brushing over her core. She could feel the emotions climbing within her and she wondered how long it would be before Joey helped her finish. If he wasn't quick it would all be over. She closed her eyes, taking in how it felt as she pushed two fingers inside. "Oh…" she moaned breathily, her thumb settling on her clit, pressing on it gently. She inhaled when he pulled her hand free and then his mouth was on her, licking the length of her core and she very nearly came there and then. "Joe…" she moaned.

He pulled away from her, "Relax, babe…"

"Kinda difficult with your face between my legs…" she whimpered.

"You know you love it…" he breathed, lowering his mouth to her once more. After a couple more minutes he pulled away from her again. He kissed up her body, Lauren regretting that she was still wearing her dress once more. "Fuck…" he suddenly said and she opened her eyes, watching as he pulled away from her. She took his rejection hard, rolling away from him, feeling the bed shift as he stood back up and walked away from the bed. She curled up into a little ball, her skirt bunched up around her. "Have you changed your mind?" he asked, his voice carrying across the room.

"You're the one who changed their mind… not me…" Lauren accused him. She tensed as the bed shifted again.

"I didn't change my mind…" he breathed in her ear, his arm wrapping around her waist. "I simply needed to sort out some protection…" he added, "I had to get a condom out of my wallet…"

"So you still want to do this?" she whispered.

"Always, babe…" he whispered back. "Now where were we?"

"You were kissing up my body…" Lauren murmured.

"I was?" he said, smiling as she rolled over to look at him. He kissed her softly, his tongue swirling around hers as he deepened the kiss. He took her hand in his, squeezing it as he laced their fingers together. "Touch me…" he murmured against her lips. She nodded her head, her eyes widening as he wrapped their fingers around his cock.

"This'll be the first time we've done this when I've been sober…" she whispered as her hand stroked him slowly.

"I hope it's as good as you thought it was when you were drunk…" he murmured, kissing down her neck, teasing her skin with his mouth. Her hand on his length was like a branding iron, burning him with each stroke she made. He groaned as she twisted her hand on him and he moved his hand, covering hers and stopping her from moving. "This'll be over really quick if you keep that up…" he told her gently.

She pulled her hand away quickly, "Oh, okay…" she whispered. "So…" she added, not quite knowing how to start it off.

He moved forward, leaning over her, his hand sweeping her dress back up to her waist. She squirmed uncomfortably as he looked her over, "Relax babe…" he breathed, "You are so beautiful…" he murmured. He looked up at her face, "Every single inch of you is perfect…"

"I know that's a lie…" she whispered, "but it's nice to hear it nonetheless…" she added.

"It's not a lie… I love you… all of you…" he breathed. He pulled away from her briefly and she watched as he rolled the condom onto his cock before moving back towards her, lowering his body onto hers, both of them moaning as their skin brushed against each other. The world seemed to stand still as he reached for his cock, placing the tip at her entrance. "Are you ready?" he asked her softly.

"Always…" she breathed, echoing back his earlier words to him.

He pushed forward slowly, holding his breath as he entered her for the first time in more than two years. "Oh God…" he breathed, resting his forehead on her shoulder once he was fully sheathed inside her.

"Every single inch of you is perfect too, Joe…" Lauren murmured and Joey laughed, kissing her deeply. He moved within her and they both moaned. "Make love to me, Joe…"

"My pleasure, babe…" he breathed in her ear, "Well, mine and yours…"

*JL*JL*

"Well, that was enjoyable…" Lauren said, her head resting on Joey's chest.

"Just enjoyable?" he asked.

"Okay… much more than enjoyable." She admitted. "Best sex I've ever had."

"That ain't nothing, babe… once you're fully recovered, it'll be even more memorable…"

Lauren smiled, "Well, that's something to look forward to…" she said, "If that doesn't motivate me to get better, nothing will…"

Joey kissed her forehead, "If I'd known this was what would finally get through to you, I'd have done this months ago…"

Lauren smacked his chest, "I wasn't ready then, was I?" she said.

"No," he said, his voice suddenly serious, "At one stage I didn't think you ever would be… And I'd have been happy anyway, even if you hadn't ever been… I just want to be with you… Always have done, really…"

"We wasted so much time, Joe…" Lauren whispered.

"Well, then we're just going to have to make up for it now, aren't we?" he said with a smile.

 **A/N: So that's the story over… just the epilogue to go… I think Lauren believes him at last… believes that he loves her. Send me a review and let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow…**


	53. Chapter 53

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far... I love reading them and it makes me want to continue writing! xx**

 **EPILOGUE:**

Lauren sat in the car beside her dad. She could feel him watching her, "You okay?" he asked, not for the first time today.

"I'm great, dad." Lauren repeated, a smile on her face, also not for the first time.

"Any last minute nerves?"

"A few… but none about this, dad… This is the one thing I'm not nervous about…"

"What are you nervous about then?" he asked.

"This…" she breathed, her hand waving down her body. "I feel like a fool… and I have to cope somehow with everyone staring at me…"

"Well, firstly they'll be staring at you because this is your day… and also because you look stunning…" He reached over and placed his hand on hers, squeezing it gently. "The last thing you are going to look today is a fool…"

"Thanks dad."

Max glanced at his watch, "It's time, babe… we should be getting inside." He smiled, "Don't want to be late for your groom, do we?"

"I thought that was what brides were supposed to do?" Lauren said.

"Well, you'll want a few minutes with your girlfriends before we go in anyway, won't you?" He said, "By the time we're out of the car and have done that we'll already be late."

Lauren smiled, "Anyone would think you were eager to get rid of me…" she teased him.

"I'm not getting rid of you, babe… merely gaining another son…"

Lauren smile broadened, "I hope you remember to tell him that later…" she said.

Max patted his jacket pocket, "I intend to, babe…" he told her softly. "Although you'd think he'd already know… seeing as how I changed the name of the car lot…"

"That was almost three years ago, dad… and anyway, it'll be nice for him to hear it again…" Lauren said.

Max leant forward and opened the car door, climbing out and then leaning back inside and holding his hand out towards her so she could take it. He helped her climb carefully out of the car. Lauren took a deep breath and then slid her arm through her dad's as they walked up to the church.

"Lauren, you look beautiful…" Her blonde best friend said. Both girls fussed around Lauren for a few minutes, straightening out the dress and making sure she had everything.

"She's right, Lauren… you're simply stunning…" Her other friend agreed. She glanced at the blonde beside her, "You do know your mum is going to go mental, right?" she said, smirking at her.

"Don't remind me…" she groused. She looked again at Lauren, "I blame you…" she said.

"You promised me, Nancy…" Lauren said.

Nancy smiled, "I know… and I'm glad I did… kind of… after all, it was the only way Whit and I could convince you to get that dress you're wearing… which even I have to admit is bloody amazing…"

Lauren smiled, stepping forward and hugging Whitney, "Thanks for being here with me, Whit…" she said softly, "I wish Lucy could be here too…" she added.

"Me too, Lauren… but I'm sure she's looking down on us all and is really pleased for you… and jealous to the core that you're making an honest man out of Joey…"

Lauren giggled. "You've probably got a point… I'm not sure I could've handled the drama of her being here to be honest…" she admitted. She pulled away from Whit and then turned to her blonde friend, who was currently brushing her hands self-consciously down the bridesmaid's dress she was wearing. She moved closer to her and hugged her too. "Thanks Nance…" she whispered, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for your help over the last few years…"

"That's what friends are for," Nancy said quietly.

Lauren took a deep breath, pulling away from Nancy and staring at her, "I've made a decision…" she said, staring at the blonde. "I want to take this off…"

Nancy's mouth dropped open for several seconds and none of them said anything. Nancy was the first to come back to life, nodding her head and moving around her best friend, "If that is what you want…" she said, smiling as she helped Lauren remove part of what she was wearing.

*JL*JL*

The doors at the back of the church opened and the music began to play. Nancy and Whitney stepped inside first, walking slowly into the church and up the aisle. Nancy tried to ignore the gasp from her mother as she walked past but Whitney's giggle didn't really help too much. She was sure she saw her dad wipe away a tear as well, which was almost as bad. As they got level with Tanya, Nancy passed the slightly off-white lace jacket to her, continuing to move to the front of the room and take their place. Tanya gazed down at the item on her lap in shock, knowing what it was, a lump formed in her throat as she realised what it meant. She looked up and found Joey's head had turned and he was also staring at it. She smiled at him and he flashed a grin at her, turning his head back to the front of the church, waiting for his bride.

Lauren walked slowly beside her dad up the aisle. She had thought she'd be caught up in the emotions from people staring at her but there was only one person she was interested in and that was the man they were walking towards. For the first time in just over three years Lauren Branning felt beautiful, the words from her friends when they'd gone dress shopping ringing in her ears with each step she took. Every little time Joey had told her she was beautiful drifted through her mind and with each step her confidence grew. She felt beautiful and she hoped that Joey felt the same way when he finally got to see her. Her mum had done her hair that morning, putting it up with small strands of hair hanging in curls around her face. Lauren had made sure there was enough for her future husband to push back from her face as soon as he got a chance… because it wouldn't be right if he couldn't do that. They slowly moved closer and Lauren knew that most of the people present would be able to see her scars now, the back of the dress exposing her back for all to see. Even after three years there was still slight scars there… and her left leg remained scarred as well. The back of the dress had been the one thing she hadn't liked about it when she'd tried it on, her reluctance to reveal so much of herself heavy on her mind. That was the reason she'd got the lace wrap when they'd bought the dress, because it hid her back from view… but this morning… something had told her that this was what she needed to do. And so far she wasn't regretting that decision, although it was getting more difficult to stay strong with each step. Knowing she would soon be by Joey's side gave her the strength she needed... that and her dad walking beside her. Her arm and hand tightened slightly on her dad's as they continued to move and he placed his hand on hers, squeezing it to reassure her. She'd seen the emotion on his face as they'd waited outside the church and he was now giving her the strength she needed to take these few last steps.

Finally they reached the front of the church and stopped. The room seemed to freeze… as did Lauren's heart as she waited for Joey to look at her. His head turned, his face lighting up as he saw her, his eyes running up and down her full length. Lauren relaxed as she saw the smile on his face... those irresistible dimples appearing and taking her breath away. He stepped closer to her, slipping his hand in hers and lacing their fingers together. "You look stunning, babe…" he breathed, "Takes my breath away to see you…" he admitted, echoing her previous thoughts.

"You don't look so bad yourself…" she told him. She glanced at the vicar, "You still want to do this?" she whispered, "It's not too late to change your mind…"

"Never been more sure of anything in my life…" he said, grinning at her. "What about you?"

"I haven't ever wanted anything more, Joe." She said, squeezing his hand.

"Then let's do this…" he said, releasing her hand and placing his hand on the small of her back, his thumb brushing over the scar at the base of her back as he nudged her forward so they could take their places in front of the vicar and the service could begin. It was time to start their life... together.

 **THE END.**

 **A/N: That may seem like a strange place to stop but it felt right to end it there. While Lauren and Joey's relationship was a large element of this story, it was mainly about Lauren feeling better about herself after the fire… and hopefully the epilogue showed that. Send me a review and let me know what you thought. Back soon with another story, no doubt.**


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